ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. caught the New York Yankees off-guard with a spectacular throw to finish the third inning within the Atlanta Braves’ series-opening 7-3 victory Friday evening.
The All-Star proper fielder threw out Jorbit Vivas at third base when Vivas was attempting to tag up on a deep fly to the nook in proper.
At 301 ft — no bounces — it’s the longest outfield help this season, and the primary throw of 300+ ft with no bounces since Mookie Betts’ 302-foot throw to maintain Ketel Marte from stretching a double right into a triple on July 31, 2020.
“His accuracy is silly,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned. “He is a weapon in proper area. His arm is so sturdy and correct, and the ball carries, launch is sweet. He is particular on the market.”
Acuña caught the ball simply in entrance of the warning monitor along with his again to the infield. He spun and fired a throw that reached third base within the air simply in time for Nacho Alvarez Jr. to tag a slowing Vivas, who ignored third-base coach Luis Rojas’ sign to slip.
“I simply all the time attempt to anticipate these performs,” Acuña mentioned by an interpreter. “That is actually what I all the time attempt to deal with, anticipating the play earlier than it occurs. I actually wasn’t attempting to do something apart from that. Fortunately, I’ve a superb arm.”
Alvarez was informal because the throw approached in an try to idiot Vivas, who would seemingly have been protected if he had run laborious all the way in which and slid.
“(Vivas) acquired deked,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “That simply cannot occur. I did that each one my profession at third base. Simply form of play dumb, play lifeless. And that is what (Vivas) learn. The physique language of Alvarez there, simply deked him. He knew it was a deep fly ball, so it caught as much as him. … It is a lesson that that may’t occur on a baseball area, particularly in that state of affairs.”
It was the longest throw to finish a double play since 2021 (Adam Eaton’s throw traveled 302 ft on July 4).
ESPN Analysis and The Related Press contributed to this report.