Angels star dodges tag with incredible slide that even fools umpire
Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado has always been known more for his defensive prowess than his offensive abilities.
The 31-year-old has a career batting average of just .219, but last year, he showed his worth behind the plate, winning a Gold Glove Award and accounting for 1.8 defensive Wins Above Replacement.
On Monday night, though, in a game against the Texas Rangers, Maldonado did it all. In addition to starting at catcher, Maldonado went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and one run scored.
Maldonado’s most memorable play came in the top of the sixth inning, when the Angels were batting up 4-1.
With two outs and Maldonado on first base, pinch-hitter Chris Young pulled a ground ball down the third-base line for a hit. The ball ricocheted off the sidewall and rolled into shallow left field, and Maldonado — not normally the fastest of runners — sped around the bases.
He decided to try and score on the play, but the throw to the plate was on target, and it looked like Maldonado was going to be tagged out relatively easily.
Maldonado slid into home plate, only to be called out by the umpire.
But what the umpire hadn’t seen was Maldonado’s acrobatic swim move, where he slid into home and put his right hand on the base before he got tagged.
The slickness of Maldonado’s move is difficult to put into words, but check out the video below to see it for yourself:
The Angels challenged the call on the field, and a video review confirmed that he was indeed safe.
Martin Maldonado just scored a run with a very acrobatic "slide," darting around Robinson Chirinos' tag. You have to see this one. #Angels are up 5-1 in the 6th.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) April 10, 2018
After the game, Maldonado told MLB.com he wasn’t originally sure how he was going to execute the slide.
“I didn’t know whether I wanted to slide head-first or feet-first,” he said. “I didn’t know which one I was going to do, but it worked out.”
Angels manager Mike Scioscia, meanwhile, was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.
“I wouldn’t have believed it, but Martin did everything he could to avoid a tag and he got his hand in there,” Scioscia said.
The Angels went on to beat the Rangers 8-3. They know have a record of 8-3, their best start since the 1987 season.
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