Petey Halpin gave Cleveland one of those October plays that shakes a ballpark, even if the Guardians could not carry it to a win. His full-speed catch against the center-field wall erased what looked like a certain Junior Caminero home run in the fourth inning Saturday, a bright moment in Tampa Bay’s 7-3 Game 4 victory at Progressive Field that left the American League Championship Series even at two games apiece.
Caminero drove Foster Griffin’s pitch at 110.7 mph with a 29-degree launch angle, the kind of contact that usually produces a souvenir. The ball remained in the air for almost six seconds, however, long enough for Halpin to retreat, adjust his angle and make a lunging grab at the base of the wall before crashing into the padding.
The result was extraordinary by the available tracking data. Since Statcast began recording batted balls in 2015, there had been 264 other balls hit between 110.0 and 110.9 mph at launch angles from 28 to 30 degrees, including postseason games. Every one of them cleared the fence. Caminero’s became the lone exception.
“For that to stay in the yard, it’s got to do some funky stuff,” Halpin said.
Halpin turns a likely homer into an out
The route was not a textbook straight line, but the flight of the ball demanded improvisation. Halpin initially backpedaled toward the wall, at one point moving on a diagonal before working himself back under the descending drive. When the catch was secured, the collision with the fence landed with nearly the same force as the sound of Caminero’s barrel.
Griffin, the pitcher on the play, called it a reminder of the ground Cleveland’s outfield can cover.
“Unbelievable,” Griffin said. “That ball probably leaves a lot of parks. But when it gets to our outfield, I always feel like there’s a chance somebody will make the play. Petey is a Gold Glove-level defender, and that was an unbelievable catch.”
Caminero did not let the missed homer slow his night. He returned in his next at-bat with an RBI double, helping power a productive evening from Tampa Bay’s top three hitters: Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda. Caminero refers to the trio as “los tres pequeños,” and they helped the Rays pull level in the series.
A familiar postseason role for Cleveland’s fan favorite
Halpin’s rookie regular season included a .594 OPS, but his standing in Cleveland has been built on more than a line on the back of a baseball card. His energy, dry smile and steady confidence have made him a favorite in the clubhouse and in the stands, while the postseason has supplied a series of timely moments.
He delivered two doubles in Game 5 of the AL Division Series against the White Sox, then hit a home run Thursday as Cleveland took Game 3 of the ALCS. Saturday brought a defensive highlight instead, though it was not enough to prevent the Rays from taking the 7-3 decision.
With the series reduced to a best-of-three race for the pennant, Halpin sounded comfortable with the pressure waiting ahead.
“Where else would you want to be?” Halpin said. “We’re competing in the ALCS with a World Series spot on the line. I like where we stand. The next couple of games should be fun.”
Cleveland’s formula has leaned on run prevention and hits that arrive at the right time, and Halpin has supplied both over the past two weeks. The Guardians will need more of that edge as the series moves through its final stretch, with their unexpected October spark still finding ways to put himself in the middle of the action.
