A huge key to being a big league outfielder is having a strong arm. Colorado Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra showed his off Monday night in Cincinnati, and the Reds’ Jay Bruce was his latest victim.
Bruce sent a ball into the gap in left-center in the fifth inning, and at worst, Bruce had a stand-up double. But the ball got away, and Parra seemed to have misplayed the ball off the wall at first. Seeing that, Bruce attempted to stretch the double into a triple, but Parra responded quickly and let go of a rocket to third base for a fine defensive effort for the out:
And how about the job by Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado to finish this beauty of a play? It’s one thing to make the throw from the outfield on a tightrope to third, but the infielder still has to make the tag. Arenado had to spin to his left and drop the glove to sneak a tag in on Bruce just before the Reds big man reached safely. Bruce could do nothing but stand up and look around in disbelief, and we don’t blame him.
The play was reviewed, because it was close. Or maybe the umpires and somebody in New York just wanted to check it out again for themselves.
