CLEVELAND -- The new Superman movie coming out later this summer includes a scene shot at Progressive Field. Know who didn't need a cape to fly at the same ballpark on Tuesday night?
Jake Fraley. He doesn't have superpowers, but the right fielder took flight to make the catch of the game to rob José Ramírez of extra bases. It came during a 1-0 Reds win over the Guardians on Andrew Abbott's first shutout.
“Fraley’s play was one of the best plays you’ll ever see," manager Terry Francona said.
Leading off the seventh inning against Abbott, Ramírez scorched a drive to right field that tailed towards the corner and the warning track. Fraley gave pursuit before leaving his feet for a perfectly timed diving catch.
“Fraley’s ball, that’s a triple, because he left his feet and José’s running," Francona said.
Abbott and catcher Tyler Stephenson each raised their arms in jubilation for Fraley's effort.
“Off that bat, I don’t know, from my view, it looked like Ramírez didn’t really get it too well," Fraley said. "I knew he got it decent, but I didn’t think he got it that well. I kind of undercut it for like two steps. Then when I realized like, ‘OK, this thing has a really good flight on it,’ that was when you kind of saw me starting to angle back. And at that point, he hit it so well, I was in full 'Let me try to get to this' [mode].
"There’s a split second where I didn’t think I would and then it’s just an instinctual thing when you’re out there. I started gaining ground on it and I was like, ‘All right, now’s the time.’ And I just took off and I was able to have enough glove to be able to reel it in.”
Although Fraley's stunning play was rated by Statcast to have a 65 percent catch probability, it was 100 percent spectacular and a potential game-saver for Abbott.
“One of the best catches I’ve seen in person, for sure," first baseman Spencer Steer said. "Great jump. I didn’t think he had a chance of catching it. It feels like he came out of nowhere and made a heck of a play.”