Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu turned in the catch of the year in MLB for a brief moment.
Abreu came inches away from a jaw-dropping grab in the top of the second inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Saturday night. Abreu tracked a deep fly ball by Yankees No. 9 hitter Oswaldo Cabrera to the short right-field wall just to the side of the bullpens and leaped into the stands to snag the ball.
Abreu initially had the ball in his glove to absolutely rob Cabrera of a home run, but as he crashed into the seats and banged his head, the ball got jarred loose, resulting in Cabrera being allowed to jog around the bases.
You can watch Abreu's incredible effort on the play here:
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a member of the team's training staff came out onto the field to check on Abreu, who walked back onto the field via a gate in the wall. Abreu took a rough tumble, but stayed in the game.
It was an eventual first couple of innings for Abreu, who came up with a timely hit in Boston's come-from-behind win Friday night in the series opener. He helped Boston erase a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning by crushing a solo shot to center field. It was his ninth homer of the season.
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He almost added the ultimate web-gem play, but even though he didn't complete it, his tremendous effort certainly won't be forgotten.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports Images
