Aaron Boone cried out, “Now, belly!” as a possible game tying hit flew into the air.
At the top of the nine innings with a tied runner for two bases and a nine-inning inning, Royals MJ Melendez rocked the ball with a rope to the right field.
And despite the stumbling, Cody Bellinger laid out, his right arm was expanded to create a game-winning catch on highlight reels.
The 2019 Gold Glove winner’s play helped the Yankees sweep the three-game series with a 4-3 victory over the Royals on Wednesday night in the Bronx.
In the aftermath, Judge Aaron was adored from the dugout, and Clark Schmidt said he could hear and feel the crowd at Yankee Stadium responding to sensational plays from the training room.
“We definitely expected the ball to hit in the matchup,” Bellinger said following the victory. “I didn’t know if it was a ground ball or a fly ball, but I was hoping for the ball and no matter where it was, I just wanted to make the best first jump. [my] My head was a little too shaking. But I had a good beat on it and I saw how the ball was moving, so I was happy to catch it and get the victory. ”
After the catch, Bellinger sat on the ground and lifted his glove in victory.
The diving glove also sealed Fernando Cruz’s first career save.
“There’s a reason why he can get money in his gloves and play a game on the line with two base runners, especially at such a big moment,” the judge said of the play. “And we expanded for the team to lay it out there. That was pretty impressive.”
“Great play, I mean he’s a really good athlete. He’s really good wherever he is,” Boone added. “I started stumbling, but I still managed to maintain my balance.
Bellinger, who had attacked coach James Rousson before the game and participated in early batting practice, also had a productive day at the plate.
He went 4-1 with an RBI double in four innings, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
Before Wednesday, he was 20-20 in the last six games.
