LOS ANGELES – Kole Calhoun charged hard to his right and watched his footwork while he fielded the single to right field. He knew Cody Bellinger would be sprinting for home, so the game was riding on this throw to the plate.
Calhoun’s preparation resulted in a nearly perfect play, and the Los Angeles Angels slipped out of Dodger Stadium with yet another win in the Freeway Series.
Calhoun threw out Bellinger at the plate to end a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, making the final defensive gem in a shiny cluster for the surging Angels.
“That’s as good as hitting a homer right there,” said Calhoun, who also had a homer and two doubles. “As a defender, that’s something you dream of.”
Calhoun’s big play was the result of many small calculations, according to the big-armed outfielder who emphatically ended the Angels’ third straight win over their crosstown rivals.
From the moment pinch-hitter Enrique Hernández drilled his single off Angels closer Hansel Robles, Calhoun knew the ball’s pace would give him enough time to throw home if he fielded it cleanly. And because he knows Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel intimately from Ebel’s many years on former Angels manager Mike Scioscia’s staff, Calhoun was certain Bellinger would be running.
All he needed was a clean pick and a strong throw — and the former Gold Glove winner was sharp enough to get Bellinger easily.
“In that spot, it still takes a heck of a play by Calhoun,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The arm strength, the accuracy — he’s still got to make a good play.”
Shohei Ohtani appeared as a pinch hitter in the second drove in a run against starter Kenta Maeda (7-7), who was chargred with three runs in 4⅓ innings.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times