It's only March, but already it feels like playoff baseball courtesy of the World Baseball Classic.
On Saturday night in San Diego, Team USA avenged an earlier loss to the reigning champions, the Dominican Republic, with a 6-3 win in front of over 41,000 fans at Petco Park.
The Dominican Republic took an early 2-0 lead in the game, but the Americans fought back, thanks to some "must-see" plays by Florida Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.
First, Stanton belted a homer to tie the game. The obliterated ball shot off Stanton's bat like a cannon and hit the all-brick Western Metal Supply Building in left field.
Later, it was Jones, robbing his Orioles' teammate Manny Machado, with one of the more amazing home run stealing catches you'll ever see.
Machado hit a deep fly ball to right-center that Jones tracked down and leaped into the stands to steal from a contingency of American fans. Jones' catch was not only spectacular, but considering USA led by just one run at the time, Machado's homer would have given the Dominican Republic the lead and may have changed the course of the final few innings of the game.
Instead, Jones' catch saved the Americans and eliminated the defending champions.
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The video of the catch (in case you haven't seen it yet) is below, but it is the fan reactions behind Jones that has everyone on the Internet buzzing on Sunday morning.
Before you really get Sunday going ⛪️,, you just have to see this catch again by Adam Jones to rob @Orioles teammate Manny Machado pic.twitter.com/N0eLPqGeqU — Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 19, 2017
Never before have we seen so many different, yet amazing, reactions occurring simultaneously on the faces of baseball fans. From the girl screaming in the front right behind Jones, to the crushed look on the Yankees' fan's face after his souvenir was stolen from him.
This is going to be an iconic image. Awesome catch Adam Jones! USA! USA! USA! pic.twitter.com/ObtUl71blI — D Villalona (@AxE720) March 19, 2017
The fan reactions surrounding Adam Jones in "the catch" #TheCatch as #USA beats #dominicanrepublic in #WBC2017 pic.twitter.com/j5At1LXVwD — Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 19, 2017
This image shows the close up reactions of the different fans. From the gentleman on the right who looks like he's seen a ghost, to the guy with the bandana in the back who seems to have his eyes closed. On the far left, this longhaired fan with his hat backwards seems to be amused by it all.
The beauty of this image is the American flags in the back, the fact that one fan managed not to spill his beer in the ordeal, and the fan to the left of Jones seems to be in awe as he slowly reaches up to place his finger tips on the red, white and blue.
All in all, we agree with most of the Internet, this is art, and we love it.
