Watch: Home run robbery was so good, it even fooled the announcer
It’s no secret that Atlanta Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte is a fantastic defender.
The 27-year-old has won the Gold Glove Award two years running, thanks in large part to his excellent range and unreal athleticism.
On Tuesday night, Inciarte showed fans — just in case they had forgotten — why he’s considered one of the top defensive outfielders in all of baseball. He made a play that was so impressive it even fooled at least of the announcers calling the game.
The Braves hosted the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night in a battle of two teams, who, after struggling recent years, have both gotten off to strong starts in 2018.
The second batter of the game for the Phillies was rookie Scott Kingery, who launched a 2-1 fastball from Brandon McCarthy deep to left-center field.
Inciarte had to cover a lot of ground just to get to the fence, but he eventually did, then timed his leap over the wall perfectly to make a snowcone catch and rob Kingery of what should have been a solo home run.
It was a pleasant surprise for the Braves broadcasters, who marveled at Inciarte’s ability to make such a great play.
For Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy, though, it was a less-than-stellar experience.
The announcer initially thought Kingery had hit a home run, and loudly declared that the ball was “gone.” However, he was forced to correct himself after watching Inciarte throw the baseball back into the infield.
You can see Inciarte’s play in the video below. McCarthy’s call begins at about the 1:10 mark.
After the game, both Brandon McCarthy and Braves manager Brian Snitker were in awe of what Inciarte had done.
“That was an unbelievable catch,” McCarthy said. “First, I thought it was a good pitch and then I realized, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be a home run.’ Then he caught it.”
“There were too many emotions wrapped up quick. There’s a reason he’s a multiple Gold Glove winner. That was a fantastic play,” he added.
Snitker, meanwhile, indicated that though he already knew Inciarte was a great defender, even he didn’t think the center fielder would be able to make that catch.
“I’m getting used to watching him do that kind of stuff,” Snitker said. “I didn’t think he had a chance for that. He kind of marked it off. That was unbelievable.”
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