Watch: Blue Jays' 3B Matt Chapman starts amazing double-play against Red Sox

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Blue Jays' 3B Matt Chapman makes slick sliding backhanded grab to complete double-play against Red Sox

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Aug 24, 2022 10:41 PM ET

Battling for a playoff spot in the crowded American League wildcard race, every play counts for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman made a potentially game-altering play Wednesday night at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Red Sox led 2-1 with a man on and one out. Boston's Rafael Devers hit a screamer off Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios which seemed destined for a base hit. However, shifted toward shortstop, Chapman made a sliding grab before a backhanded toss to second to start an inning-ending double play.

Matt Chapman doing his thing. pic.twitter.com/bZgVk346Lt
— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2022

Chapman won his third gold glove in 2021, finishing with a .987 fielding percentage and ten runs saved.

The Blue Jays acquired Chapman ahead of the regular season in a trade with the Oakland A's.

The 29-year-old has 24 home runs and 62 RBI while batting .233/.312/.462 in 116 games.

Chapman and the Blue Jays are 67-55 on the year and are neck-and-neck with AL East foe the Tampa Bay Rays for the top wildcard spot. Entering Wednesday's action, the Rays held a 1.0 game advantage over the Blue Jays, with the Seattle Mariners holding the third spot, two games behind the pace.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

More must-reads: