The Loop
Watch Gary Sanchez make incredible game-saving tag at home plate to help the Yankees beat the A's
The saying is usually reserved for football, but Gary Sanchez proved the "game of inches" cliche can be used for any sport on Saturday during the New York Yankees-Oakland A's game at Yankee Stadium.
With the game tied at six in the top of the ninth and just one out, A's catcher Jonathan Lucroy came in to pinch hit for Bruce Maxwell against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. A ball in play would do the job, and on the first pitch he saw, Lucroy did exactly that, lifting a ball to left field seemingly deep enough to score the runner from third. It would have taken a perfect throw from Yankee outfielder Brett Gardner and a perfect tag from Sanchez to get a double play an end the inning.
As Gardner's throw came in, A's first baseman Matt Olson slid feet first for home and was called safe, giving the A's a 7-6 lead. But Yankees manager Aaron Boone asked for replay review, which paid off thanks to this incredible tag by Sanchez:
Unbelievable throw by Gardner, one-hopping it perfectly to Sanchez, who somehow barely got his glove on the back of Olson's jersey. This all came after Chapman had walked the bases loaded, nearly leading to a third straight loss for the once red-hot Yankees. But Sanchez's tag bailed him out, and the Yankees went on to tie up the three-game set with Oakland and grab first place in the AL East for the time being with a record of 27-12.