From magical tags to circus catches, Javier Báez can do just about anything on a baseball field. Even hitting 92 mph sliders off the bounce, apparently.
During the ninth inning of Cleveland’s 4-1 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader Monday, the Tigers shortstop swatted an 0-2 slider from Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase that hit the ground right in front of home plate into center field.
Of course, Báez is no stranger to turning dirt balls into base hits. In 2019, the free swinger threw his bat at a pitch in the dirt from Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon — literally — and somehow blooped a shot into left-center field.
But Báez wasn’t so lucky this time, hitting a lazy fly ball to center fielder Myles Straw.
This article was originally published by Mlb.com. Read the original article here.