It’s not often that you see a player get fooled as badly as Jacob Stallings did on this play.
In the second inning of Thursday’s game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Gen Gamel appeared to hit a home run for the home team, a shot that would have tied the game with Stallings on first. At least, that’s what it looked like, as Jackie Bradley Jr. masterfully played everyone into thinking Gamel’s shot was a home run.
Instead, Bradley caught the ball on the warning track and tossed a moon shot back down to first, which was able to get Stallings out to complete the double play as the baserunner was scrambling to get back.
Jackie Bradley Jr okey-dokes Stallings into thinking Gamel hit a HR and doubled him off at first pic.twitter.com/SA1u1ji2IX
— CJ Fogler (@cjzer0) July 1, 2021
Talk about incredible deception from Bradley, as he really sells that the ball is going yard with the way he looks towards the stands and slows his momentum in a way you often see with outfielders and home runs. His catch also has to be admired here, as Bradley takes it from his back shoulder away from Stallings, putting the final touch on the fake out.
Obviously an incredible throw by Jackie Bradley Jr here, but check this out. This is next level. Look how JBJ pretends the ball is going over the fence by looking up in the stands. That gets the runner rounding second. Last second he looks up, catches, and throws a rocket to 1st pic.twitter.com/a70pO0k7dc
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) July 2, 2021
Bradley is an award-winning outfielder for a reason and he showed his stuff on this stellar play.
