Joey Gallo stepped up in the third inning with runners on second and third in Boston. After fouling off a couple pitches and working the count to 1-2, he popped a high fly ball to right. It should have been an easy out, but Christian Arroyo, normally an infielder, was clearly lost in the outfield lights. He couldn’t track the ball, started panicking, and froze with what looked like pure fear. The ball dropped far from him and Gallo took off, sensing the hesitation.
Gallo rounded the bases fast, likely thinking inside-the-park home run, but started slowing up near third. A strong relay throw met him at the plate. The tag came in clean and beat him by inches. He was called out, but still picked up a triple. Since Arroyo never touched the ball, the play couldn’t be scored as an error under official rules. That didn’t help Arroyo’s case, though. His body language said it all. Shaking his head in the dugout, he made it clear he’s not a fan of the outfield.
Gallo, on the other hand, was fired up. Laughing, talking, and re-telling the whole sequence to anyone who would listen. He finally got the break he was waiting for and made the most of it, even if he didn’t cross the plate. The play gave the Yankees a run and gave Arroyo a good reason to ask to go back to the infield.