Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, but the Boston Red Sox center fielder had a rare lapse in judgment Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Tied 2-2 in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals, Drew Butera laced a liner ticketed for the left-center field gap. And instead of playing it safe, Bradley laid out for a diving catch, only to see the ball go under his glove and roll to the wall.
The mishap proved costly for the Red Sox, as Butera motored around to third and the Royals went on to post two runs in the seventh en route to a 4-2 victory in the series opener.
After the game, Bradley owned up to the mistake, saying he could have taken a deeper route.
To hear what else Bradley had to say about the play, check out the video above from “Red Sox Final,” presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
Thumbnail photo via Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports Images