What a Clutch, Veteran play by Machado

[baltfan]

That was greater than a veteran play. To me that was every bit as great as the Jeter flip against the A's

[Miller192]

Wow, I just saw this. Unreal

[notfast]

Hakuna Machado!

One of the most heads up game changing plays since...dare I say it...Jeter's flip in 2001?

[Jagwar]

Hakuna Machado!

One of the most heads up game changing plays since...dare I say it...Jeter's flip in 2001?

You need to patent that phrase, stick it on every t-shirt and coffee mug you can get your hands on.

[Tbone83]

Great play! Then he steps up and hits a leadoff single and scores the winning run. This guy is special.

[SurhoffRules]

I was thrilled they got the out but it looked to me like he didn't fake the throw as much as decided to eat the ball mid throw because he wasn't going to get the runner (which was the right thing to do there). Then when he checked the runner JJ was already in place. In my mind the list of impressive thing in descending order on that play were:

1) Hardy actually covering third.

2) Manny deciding to eat the ball instead of trying to get the batter at 1st.

3) The actual toss and out at 3rd.

[baltfan]

I was thrilled they got the out but it looked to me like he didn't fake the throw as much as decided to eat the ball mid throw because he wasn't going to get the runner (which was the right thing to do there). Then when he checked the runner JJ was already in place. In my mind the list of impressive thing in descending order on that play were:

1) Hardy actually covering third.

2) Manny deciding to eat the ball instead of trying to get the batter at 1st.

3) The actual toss and out at 3rd.

Replay from the other angle made it clear that he faked the throw. He didn't just pocket it.

[Jagwar]

I'm pretty sure that if Reynolds or Betemit were playing 3B on that play

1. They probably don't even get to the ball that quickly

2. But if they did, they try to make the spectacular throw, and the ball ends up down the RF line giving the lead to the Rays.

[Dr. Unk]

Amazing play! A vet wouldn't have done that.

[Palmoripken]

Just an amazing play. Hard to believe he's only 20. And how fitting that he gets the leadoff hit and becomes the game winning run. Can't wait to see what a full season of Manny in 2013 will be like. The Nats can keep Harper but I'll take Manny.

[El Gordo]

Replay from the other angle made it clear that he faked the throw. He didn't just pocket it.

Exactly. The fake throw was to deek Thompson. Then Hardy was there.

[eddie83]

It was an early game in 1996 and Robbie Alomar was having a great start to the season. A ball was hit into right field with a runner on and he got the relay throw and threw behind the runner at third base who had rounded the bag to think about going home to get the out. That was the first play I thought of when I saw that.

The great ones have the instincts. Here is a guy who basically never played third until he got here and look at what he has done.

[JimDH]

And Hardy was where he was supposed to be.

[Owen21]

That was really clutch ! especially in September against a rival !

How 'bout the encore with a leadoff knock to start the bottom of the 9th.

[Uli2001]

I don't know if anyone noticed, but the big turn-around in Oriole fortunes this season happened when they started to play tight defense. D is very underrated in baseball.