Oct 16, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Joey Wendle (18) prepares for a hit during the second inning during game six of the 2020 ALCS against the Houston Astros at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Joey Wendle of the Rays nearly got a load of baseball in the face when a line drive came straight at him.
Joey Wendle is fortunate the netting of his glove is as strong as it is.
Otherwise, the Rays third baseman would have a hole where his face used to be courtesy of Will Smith’s missile of a hit.
That hit was an absolute bullet and Wendle managed to pull a Neo from The Matrix to stop it.
The netting of his glove was the only thing saving Joey Wendle’s face from being crushed
It was an important catch for Wendle, aside from saving his face from some serious damage. The line out from Smith came in the bottom of the eighth inning with a man on second and the tying run at the plate.
After Wendle secured the out, Cody Bellinger struck out looking to end the inning and get the Rays out of danger. They made it through the ninth inning as well, grabbing the Game 2 victory, 6-4.
Wendle played a role well beyond that one catch. His fourth-inning double put the Rays up 3-0 while a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning resulted in a run for a 6-2 advantage.
Along with Wendle’s contributions, the Rays relied on two home runs from Brandon Lowe and a strong start from pitcher Blake Snell, who made it through four innings without giving up a hit.
With the win, Tampa Bay tied the series with the Dodgers at 1-1. Los Angeles won Game 1 on Tuesday night, 8-3.
The two clubs will meet again on Friday after a day off. Walker Buehler will be on the mound for the Dodgers with Charlie Morton starting for the Rays. Games will follow on Saturday and Sunday as MLB waits for a champion in 2020.