Billy blazes, ball is caught Red-handed

CINCINNATI — Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton has made a lot of fantastic catches this season — often it seems when Dan Straily is pitching. But Hamilton may have topped himself on Tuesday against the Rangers. How good was it? It had Straily hopping up and down laughing and covering his face.

The highlight of the night in a 3-0 Reds win came in the top of the sixth inning. Carlos Beltran led off with a drive to the wall in left-center field. Hamilton ran it down and made a fully-extended diving catch on the warning track while going headfirst toward the wall.

“That was the first one all year I thought there was no shot he was getting to it,” Straily said. “I was in front of the mound and I started to move to go back up third. It was just amazing. I really did not think he was going to get to that ball. Sure enough, he found a way.”

To Hamilton, it was just another night at the office.

“A bunch of guys make plays like that and jump up and do some celebration and stuff like that,” Hamilton said. “For me, I just feel like it’s another play, me doing my job. As I said, my job is to catch the ball and don’t let anything fall.”

But that didn’t mean Hamilton wasn’t impressed.

“That’s one that I look back and was like, ‘OK, that …

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