Angel Martínez gave Progressive Field the kind of October jolt that can turn a quiet inning into a roar, climbing the left-field wall to rob White Sox designated hitter Tommy Pham and then helping the Guardians finish a momentum-saving double play in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Key takeaways
- Martínez took extra bases away from Pham with a leaping grab in left field in the sixth inning.
- His throw back to the infield allowed Travis Bazzana to double off Miguel Vargas at first base.
- The 7-4-3 twin killing ended the top of the sixth with Cleveland trailing by two runs.
- Pham’s drive left the bat at 106.1 mph, traveled a projected 366 feet and carried a .860 expected batting average.
- Martínez nearly cut down another White Sox run in the seventh, though Chicago ultimately stretched its lead to three.
A hard-hit ball, then a game-changing read
The ball off Pham’s bat looked built to put the game in a dangerous place for Cleveland. It drove deep toward the left-field wall, and Vargas was already well on his way around the bases, expecting the ball to fall for extra bases and possibly bring home two runs.
Martínez had other ideas. He timed his jump at the wall cleanly, reached up and secured the catch before the ball could find the seats or the warning track. The home crowd, briefly hushed by the flight of the ball, erupted when he came down with it.
He did not admire the catch. Martínez quickly fired the ball to Bazzana, who handled the relay and doubled Vargas off first base. Vargas had rounded second when Pham’s drive was caught, leaving him no chance to retreat in time.
The result was a 7-4-3 double play that closed the sixth inning and kept the Guardians within two runs rather than allowing the White Sox to break the game open.
Another chance at the plate in the seventh
Martínez was again involved in a pivotal play an inning later. Colson Montgomery lined a double down the left-field line, and Martínez got enough on his throw home to beat Kyle Teel, who was attempting to score from first base.
But catcher Austin Hedges could not maintain the tag, allowing Teel to score and pushing Chicago’s advantage to three runs.
The first defensive sequence still stood as the sharper October moment: a ball with a projected .860 batting average turned into an out at the wall, followed by an alert relay that erased another White Sox baserunner. In a Game 1 that threatened to tilt away from Cleveland, Martínez made sure Pham’s deep drive did not become the inning that buried the Guardians.
