Astros OF makes Catch of the Year candidate

Houston Astros right fielder Joey Loperfido made one of the wildest catches of the year Friday in his team’s contest against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Astros led the Twins 10-5 in the bottom of the 8th inning. With a man on first and nobody out, Twins infielder Willi Castro smacked a 94-mph fastball toward the wall in right field.

Loperfido leaped into the wall to try to make the catch. He had the ball in his glove for a split second before it squirted out. Somehow, the 25-year-old was able to grab the ball with his bare hand before it hit the ground.

The play is even more impressive when you consider that Loperfido made the catch while stumbling from his collision against the wall. The play didn’t look simple by any means, but Loperfido’s incredible balance still made it look easier than it was. He had his eyes locked on the ball the entire time.

Umpires initially ruled the play a hit. The Astros challenged the call and got it overturned. Castro was deemed out, cementing Loperfido’s catch in future highlight reels for years to come.

The Astros went up 13-5 after the top of the 9th inning. Houston just barely escaped with a 13-12 win after Minnesota scored seven runs in the bottom of the 9th.

But the Astros didn’t leave Target Field unscathed. Star second baseman Jose Altuve took a 94-mph pitch to his hand in the 8th inning and had to leave the contest.

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