Yankees’ Bellinger Saves the Day with Incredible Catch Against Mets

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees seemed on the verge of another loss Sunday when Cody Bellinger made a spectacular catch that turned the tide for his team.

In the seventh inning at Citi Field, the Yankees were down by two runs against the New York Mets and the Mets’ potent lineup was lining up to rally. With no outs, Juan Soto stood at first base, and home run hitter Pete Alonso loomed on deck.

After the Yankees had already faced a tough week, losing multiple games in a row, it felt like a slip to another defeat was inevitable. But Bellinger intercepted Soto’s sinking line drive, catching it with a shoestring catch that had only a 10% probability according to Statcast.

Manager Aaron Boone expressed his relief, calling it, “probably our play of the year so far.” Bellinger made an 89.9 mph throw to first base that secured an unlikely double play.

“I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it,” Bellinger said. He ended up going 2-for-3 in the game, contributing to the Yankees’ offense.

The Mets challenged the catch, but the ruling stood. “That was incredible,” said Yankees right fielder Paul Goldschmidt, who also hit his 33rd home run this season. “I’ve never seen something like that on the field.”

The Yankees have struggled with defense recently, resulting in critical errors. This victory helped them break a six-game losing streak and potentially revive their efforts in the American League East, where they now sit three games behind the division leaders.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Goldschmidt added, highlighting the importance of Bellinger’s defense in turning the game around.