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Trey Sweeney's game-saving catch vs. Orioles came with near injury scare for Tigers

Emma Lingan
Emma Lingan

Motor City Bengals

Baltimore Orioles v Detroit Tigers / Duane Burleson/GettyImages

On Saturday night in Baltimore, hope seemed all but lost for the Detroit Tigers. With the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Baltimore had runners on second and third with one out when Anthony Santander hit a popup that looked all but certain to score a run and give the Orioles the win.

However, shortstop Trey Sweeney saved the game – and the Tigers' postseason chances – with an impressive catch in shallow left field. But the relief that resulted from Sweeney saving the Tigers' season was accompanied by a brief panic that he may have nearly ended his own.

Both Sweeney and left fielder Riley Greene began to chase the ball as soon as it left Santander's bat. Greene saw Sweeney coming and slid to the grass, presumably to avoid a head-on collision. The two still collided, however, as Sweeney made the catch and somersaulted over Greene's legs. From a seated position, Sweeney still managed to get the ball back in to hold Jackson Holliday at third.

What followed was a nerve-wracking scene, as Sweeney doubled over and appeared to have trouble breathing. There was an injury delay while trainers tended to him on the field, but thankfully, it looks like a serious injury was avoided, as Sweeney told reporters after the game that he had the wind knocked out of him.

When the game resumed, Tigers reliever Beau Brieske got Baltimore's Colton Cowser to fly out to center, ending the inning and sending the game into extras. The Tigers went on to win the game, 6-4, in the 10th inning, with Greene driving in the go-ahead run.

Trey Sweeney's game-saving catch vs. Orioles helps keep Tigers' magical season alive

After winning Saturday's game in dramatic fashion, the Tigers (81-74) trail the Minnesota Twins by half a game for the third and final American League Wild Card spot. They have won 10 of their last 13 games.

Detroit has seven games remaining. Following the series finale Sunday against the Orioles, the Tigers have a favorable schedule with back-to-back series against the Tampa Bay Rays and the MLB-worst Chicago White Sox. If the Tigers do end up clinching a postseason berth, Sweeney's catch on Saturday will long be remembered as the play that made their playoff dreams alive.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.