The Texas Rangers took embarrassing to a whole new level on Tuesday night with this defensive blunder committed against the New York Yankees.
The Rangers were down 7-4 with two outs in the top of the sixth inning when Brett Gardner hit a fly ball to right center. Alex Rios was coming over from right and thought he had it, while center fielder Leonys Martin was also tracking the ball and close to it. The ball went off Rios’ glove and caromed off Martin’s head and fell for a 3-base error for Gardner.
What happened there? Rios definitely had the ball tracked but seemed to get hesitant at the last second, likely because he sensed Martin was there. Martin said after the game he could not hear Rios calling for the ball, which resulted in them converging on the ball at the same time.
It’s one thing to have outfielders unable to make the play on a ball in the gap, but it’s another when the ball deflects off a glove and knocks a teammate in the noggin just like a “Three Stoges” skit. It’s just been that kind of season for the Rangers.
H/T Jimmy Traina
