Cincinnati Reds speedster Billy Hamilton went above and beyond, literally, to rob a home run on Friday night. The Reds called the play the catch of the year, and it’s difficult to argue:
Billy Hamilton scales the center field wall to rob a home run
Matt Carpenter entered Friday on fire, hitting .337/.459/.753 in his last 29 games, with nine home runs. It sure looked like he had another homer in the seventh inning, when he blasted a ball with enough distance to clear the wall in center field.
Only problem was, Hamilton cleared it, too.
Reds pitcher Amir Garrett, who gave up the long drive, was stunned, which certainly seems appropriate after that grab.
Hamilton had a putrid start to his 2018 season, but his current numbers (.233/.313/.323) are basically in line with his career numbers. He has picked it up in July, hitting .351 (13-for-37) with seven steals in just 11 games. Whatever Hamilton is hitting, making defensive plays like this is one way to keep him in the lineup.
