With the Royals holding a one-run lead in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday, the Orioles' J.J. Hardyturned on an inside pitch from Jason Vargas and walloped it to left field. Kauffman Stadium held its collective breath as the ball sailed, according to the Statcast tracking technology, precisely 374.4 feet.
That wasn't enough to clear Alex Gordon. The three-time defending AL Gold Glove Award winner turned and raced back, looking for the ball over his right shoulder as he reached a top speed of 16.7 mph. He leaped as he crossed onto the warning track, extending his left arm up and behind him. The ball smacked into Gordon's glove just before he smacked into the screen-covered scoreboard, and he held on as he fell backward to the dirt, holding his glove aloft.
"I was just trying to make the play any way that I could," Gordon told TBS after the game. "If they were hitting it my way, I was gonna catch it, and that's what happened."
Instead of having a runner in scoring position to start the inning, the Orioles had nobody on with one out. They never scored again, and the Royals punched their ticket to the World Series.
LCS STATCAST HIGHLIGHTS
ALCS Game 4: Moustakas gets final out
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Kauffman Stadium crowd of more than 40,000 was on its feet as Hardy dug in against closer Greg Holland. The Royals needed one more out to complete an ALCS sweep and advance to the World Series for the first time since 1985. Holland delivered, and Hardy hit a bouncer down the third-base line. Mike Moustakas moved to his right, fielded the ball near the line and fired across the diamond in plenty of time to get Hardy, running at a maximum speed of 19.1 mph. As soon as first baseman Eric Hosmer caught the throw, the Royals poured out of the dugout. The celebration had begun.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Kauffman Stadium crowd of more than 40,000 was on its feet as Hardy dug in against closer Greg Holland. The Royals needed one more out to complete an ALCS sweep and advance to the World Series for the first time since 1985. Holland delivered, and Hardy hit a bouncer down the third-base line. Mike Moustakas moved to his right, fielded the ball near the line and fired across the diamond in plenty of time to get Hardy, running at a maximum speed of 19.1 mph. As soon as first baseman Eric Hosmer caught the throw, the Royals poured out of the dugout. The celebration had begun.
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