Javier Baez lived up to his nickname, El Mago, on Tuesday night, as the Detroit Tigers outfielder created magic in the team’s 10-9 win over the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.
First, Baez belted a go-ahead, three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Detroit a 6-4 lead. After the Red Sox and Tigers traded blows in the top and bottom halves of the 10th, Boston once again jumped ahead and took a 9-7 lead heading into the bottom of the 11th inning.
Thanks to a leadoff single by Tigers infielder Jace Jung to start the inning, the stage was set for Baez, with Jung on first and the auto runner Dillon Dingler on third base. And Baez delivered, as he smacked the first pitch he saw from Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert into the left-field seats for a walk-off homer.
Perhaps El Mago’s best trick of the night? An immaculate bat flip in which the lumber did a baseball bat’s version of a handstand before gently tumbling back down to the earth.
And while that was happening, Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvez, who knew the ball was gone the second Baez made contact, was going through it in a demoralized reaction to the walk-off.
Baseball is the best.
