Watch: Guardians fans cheer as Juan Soto drops to the ground after avoiding a curveball
Juan Soto is one of the most feared hitters that are currently active in the MLB right now, and rival fans always seem to enjoy any moment when he gets caught on the back foot. Therefore, Cleveland Guardians fans were thrilled to see the New York Yankees slugger drop to the ground to take evasive action against a wild curveball from relief pitcher Erik Sabrowski.
"Talkin' Yanks" from Jomboy Media posted a clip of the incident on X/Twitter:
The Yankees were leading 3-1 in the game when Juan Soto came up to the plate with the bases empty and one out on the board. The Guardians had just brought on left-handed reliever Erik Sabrowski to the mound after their starting pitcher Gavin Williams gave up three runs in the first couple of innings.
For his very first pitch, Sabrowski delivered a 78-mph curveball but did not have any control over it, as the ball sailed high and inside the strike zone. However, Soto was probably expecting a much faster pitch as he ducked to the ground to avoid getting hit by the ball.
The evasive maneuver from the Yankees left-hander drew a loud cheer from the home crowd at Progressive Field. Guardians fans offered raucous applause to their pitcher, a clear display of their approval at seeing Soto hit the turf after misjudging the ball.
Juan Soto shines in Yankees ALCS Game 4 win over Guardians
The New York Yankees established a commanding two-game lead in the American League Division Series after beating the Cleveland Guardians 8-6 at Progressive Field on Friday night. Juan Soto played a key role in their victory after putting his team into an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning.
As a result, the Yankees are now just one win away from claiming the AL pennant and making their first World Series appearance since 2009. Meanwhile, Soto has been influential in their postseason success, having gone 8-28 over the eight playoff games thus far with five RBIs and two home runs.
Soto recorded .288/.419/.569 during the regular season with 109 RBIs, including 41 home runs and an OPS+ of 178. Soto smashed his second postseason home run in pinstripes.