ATLANTA Braves center fielder Michael Harris II has pulled off what is surely one of the catches of his career.
At the bottom of the seventh inning on Saturday night and with the Braves down 2-0 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Harris came to the rescue when it seemed things were about to go from bad to worse.
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Phillies outfielder Austin Hays was up to bat, sending a pitch from Max Fried deep toward Philadelphia’s bullpen.
However, Harris leaped up and almost over the fence at Citizen’s Bank Park, barely stopping himself from falling straight into the bullpen, just in time to deny Hays a homer.
The crowd immediately went wild, while Hays looked absolutely stunned.
All he could do was put back on his helmet and smile as he ran back over to the dugout.
Harris’ exceptional play quickly landed on X where fans lauded it as one of the best this season.
“What a catch! Calling it the catch of the year!” one said.
“Catch of the year. This is insane on so many levels,” added a second.
“That’s one of the best I have seen,” admitted a third.
While a fourth commented, “As a Phillies fan sitting in the section to the right…. crazy catch by Harris.”
Harris too later weighed in on the play, retweeting the clip along with the caption, “Sawry” accompanied by a spider web emoji.
As amazing as the play was, it didn’t prove enough to turn the momentum in Atlanta’s favor.
Ultimately, Philly walked away with a 3-0 win, but this hasn’t deterred Harris.
After one fan pointed out that they lost the game, he responded, “It’s ok I already cried. Back at it [tomorrow].”
The Phillies host the Braves on Sunday to close out the four-game series.
Philadelphia is currently up 2-1 after a 5-4 win on Thursday and a 7-2 loss on Friday.
The two aren’t just battling for bragging rights in the series, but also with the NL East title in their sights.
The Phillies lead the way 80-56 after Saturday’s win, with Atlanta close behind at 74-62.
Atlanta will take on the Colorado Rockies in a three-game series next, starting on September 3.
Meanwhile, the Phillies face a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays, also beginning on September 3.
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