The Milwaukee Brewers have been one of baseball’s biggest surprises this season, featuring a roster that doesn’t exactly jump at you on paper, but keeps finding ways to win games.
On Wednesday night at Miller Park, it appeared the Pittsburgh Pirates were about to tie the game with two outs in the top of the ninth, when 22-year-old shortstop Orlando Arcia came out of nowhere to make an absurd play and save the game.
With a runner on second base and two outs, John Jason hit a groundball sharply up the middle, and the ball seemed like a lock to get through into center field. But Arcia ranged far to his left, and then somehow accurately made a spinning throw from the outfield — with his momentum going that way — to first base, where Eric Thames made a nice scoop for the out to secure a 4-3 Milwaukee victory.
Would you rather end a game with a walk-off homer or this bit of magic? pic.twitter.com/4w0vTuD9m9
— MLB (@MLB) June 22, 2017
It doesn’t get much better than that, especially to end a game. And, as great as the Brewers feel after that, it’s a very tough way for the Pirates to lose. That’s a game-tying hit — without the shift, anyway — probably 95% of the time.
The win moves the Brewers (39-35) to 1.5 games up on the defending champion Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
[MLB]
