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Kyle Tucker Made the Coolest Home Run Robbery and It Didn’t Matter One Bit

Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker made an impressive—but meaningless—home run robbery in Game 6 against the Rangers.

Dan Gartland

Kyle Tucker Made the Coolest Home Run Robbery and It Didn’t Matter One Bit
Kyle Tucker Made the Coolest Home Run Robbery and It Didn’t Matter One Bit /
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There aren’t many plays more dramatic than a home run robbery in the ninth inning of playoff game—except in the case of Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker. 

In the ninth inning of Sunday’s ALCS Game 6 against the Rangers, Texas outfielder Travis Jankowski hit a long fly ball to right that Tucker tracked to the wall. Tucker timed his leap perfectly and jumped high in the air with his arm fully extended to bring the ball back over the fence. 

It was an amazing grab, made even more impressive by the fact that he had to jostle with the fans in the front row to make it. One guy even stuck his hand into Tucker’s glove, but the outfielder was able to win the tug of war and make the out. 

It was the kind of play that usually makes a home crowd blow the roof off the building, but not in Tucker’s case. That’s because the batter immediately before Jankowski, Adolis García, had hit a grand slam that made it 9–2 in favor of the Rangers.  Tucker got a nice cheer from the crowd for the impressive effort, but it was certainly muted. (You can hear the reaction better in this video.) Tucker wasn’t in any mood to celebrate, either. After he landed, he was completely expressionless as he threw the ball back to the infield. Who can blame him?

Fans had reactions:

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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