Friday marks the sixth anniversary of one of the most iconic, electrifying plays in Cleveland Guardians history.
They were the “Indians” at the time, but the play took place at Progressive Field, in front of thousands of fans in attendance.
With the game tied at two and one out, Tyler Naquin (on the New York Mets’ roster today) went to the batter’s box against top reliever Roberto Osuna.
He hit a long, deep drive to left-center field that the outfielder couldn’t grab in his jump.
The ball bounced off the wall and went towards center field, opening up an opportunity for Naquin to take third base.
The Toronto Blue Jays outfield was extremely slow to recover, and by the time the cutoff man was throwing home, Naquin was sliding there for a game-winning, walk-off inside-the-park home run.
It was an incredible display of speed and determination by Naquin.
The Sixth Anniversary Of A Special Play
Cleveland sports fan T.D. posted the video on Twitter.
“Happy 6th anniversary to one of the greatest moments in Jacobs/Progressive field history,” he wrote.
Happy 6th anniversary to one of the greatest moments in Jacobs/Progressive field history. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/KImJQMOgbi
— T.D. (@TDGuardiansKU) August 19, 2022
That victory was pivotal to extend Cleveland’s division lead over the Detroit Tigers.
The two teams ended up meeting in the postseason again, in the American League Championship Series to be precise.
Naquin and the Indians took that series 4-1, advancing to the World Series for the first time in years.
They couldn’t win the Fall Classic, falling 4-3 to the Chicago Cubs in a fascinating matchup filled with comebacks and exciting plays.
The Naquin inside-the-parker, however, will stay on fans’ minds for a long time.
It was one of the most thrilling plays Cleveland sports fans ever witnessed.
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