He had it in his glove. It would have been one of the greatest catches in MLB history.
Unfortunately for the Boston Red Sox, Wilyer Abreu's effort to rob New York Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera's home run fell short because the ball didn't stay in the outfielder's glove.
It was during the top of the second inning at Fenway Park in Boston when Cabrera launched a ball to deep right field off Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford.
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Abreu was tracking the ball the entire way, sprinting back as it got closer to the 380-foot sign on the short wall.
The ball looked destined to leave the yard, but Abreu launched himself in the air, and it was a literal leap of faith as he still had his eyes on the ball.
As the ball came down, it landed in Abreu's glove, but his body crashed into the seats over the wall. Abreu's legs flew up in the air, but on the live broadcast it appeared he had made the catch of the year as he held his glove in the air.
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However, when Abreu opened his glove, there was nothing in it. All that effort was for naught as Cabrera rounded the bases to give his Yankees a 4-3 lead over their division rival.
Upon further review, Abreu did have the ball in his leather. However, when he made contact with the seats, the ball popped out as his hand, and his wrist slammed into the row behind him.
The Red Sox were concerned Abreu might have gotten hurt after sacrificing his body to make the play. Abreu was only concerned about not keeping the ball in his glove.
The Boston faithful still gave Abreu a thunderous cheer for his effort, and his home run robbery attempt drew praise on social media.
"I love Wilyer Abreu so much for this effort," MLB Network contributor Jared Carrabis posted on X. "He caught the ball. Ball came loose when he hit the seat. Would’ve been one of the best catches I’ve ever seen in my life."
Abreu knows that "almost" will always be attached to the play, but he also launched a solo home run to kick off a three-run Red Sox bottom of the first, which tied the game.
In 77 games entering Saturday, Abreu, a 5-foot-10 Venezuelan outfielder, has slashed .266/.327/.477 with eight homers and 32 RBIs.
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