Boston Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes isn’t known for his defense, but he has a knack for making a big play from time to time. He picked a great time to do so on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
The Red Sox completed a short two-game sweep of the Braves at Turner Field, and Gomes’ defense was a big part of it. The Sox were leading 6-3 in the eighth inning with a man on base, when Gerald Laird smoked a Junichi Tazawa offering into the right-center gap. If the ball had gotten down and by Gomes, the runner on first would have certainly scored and Laird would have at least had a double. All of that would have come with no outs.
However, Gomes laid out in the gap and made the sensational diving catch. Andrew Miller came into the game for the Red Sox after Gomes’ catch and got the next two hitters in order to get out of the inning.
It was a rare instance in which Gomes was the defensive hero, but the veteran outfielder also had a hit and scored a run for the Red Sox in the win.
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