There are hits off bad pitches, and then there’s what Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder Corey Dickerson did Tuesday on the road against the Texas Rangers. Facing starting pitcher Nick Martinez to lead off the third inning, Dickerson battled to a 2-2 count, and then decided to protect the plate. Really protect it. Protect it from a pitch that actually bounced in front of it, causing @MLB to compare him to legendary bad-ball hitter (and former Ranger) Vlad Guerrero:
Corey “Vlad” Dickerson. pic.twitter.com/qhEyMqiMFn
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2017
Despite that pitch bouncing before he connected with it, Dickerson managed to get a fair bit on it, and he flared it perfectly the opposite way, with it landing just inside the left-field foul line just past third base then rolling into foul territory towards the stands. This wound up being a stand-up double, as left fielder Ryan Rua had to go a long way to retrieve it and Dickerson was flying on the basepaths. And it also wound up being one of the most unusual hits you’ll see.
It’s not a surprise to see Dickerson hitting well, as he’s leading the AL with a .345 batting average and has posted a .345/.390/.616 slash line so far this season. He probably won’t repeat this specific feat of hitting too often, but it was certainly a moment to remember Tuesday. If he keeps hitting like this, he’ll certainly give us more highlights to remember.
