Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jose Siri kept four runs off the board with a grand slam-robbing catch against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
He also did some hungry fans in the outfield a favor.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Rays shortstop Taylor Walls took the plate with a chance to extend a 3-1 Tampa Bay lead against Angles reliever Mitch Farris.
Walls delivered a first-pitch fastball to deep left field that appeared destined to clear the wall for his first home run of the season. But Siri tracked the ball down to the short wall next to the left-field foul pole. He reached over the wall and grabbed the ball for an inning-ending out that robbed Rays of four runs Walls of what would have been the 23rd home run of his six-season MLB career.
The snag also saved a potential mess on the other side of the wall. An outfield camera angle tells the story.
The ball was tracking to land just over the outfield wall. For some reason, a buffet for fans in the section beyond the wall was placed directly on the other side of that wall. Had Siri not made that catch, what looks like a build-your-own nacho station might have been toast.
But thanks to Siri’s heroics, the nachos were saved — even if Rays fans missed out on a chance at securing a would-be messy souvenir.