During Thursday's game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves, a rare sequence of events unfolded in the third inning when two Marlins outfielders collided while attempting to catch a deep fly ball, inadvertently knocking it over the wall for a home run.
Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a pitch from Marlins starter Janson Junk to deep left-center field. As Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernández and center fielder Esteury Ruiz converged on the ball near the warning track, they ran into each other. The collision caused the ball to carom over the outfield fence, resulting in a home run.
"When I saw the ball, I thought it was leaving the ballpark," Ruiz said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. "While I was running, I noticed it was going to stay on the field. I said, 'I got it,' and you can see in the video that (Hernández) also said, 'I got it.' But we couldn't hear each other with the noise of the ballpark. We couldn't hear each other."
Acuña initially paused on first base, unsure if the ball had cleared the wall, before rounding the bases. The mishap was the first of two home runs Acuña hit in the game. His second home run in the eighth inning extended the Braves' lead.
"The second one was special, because the first one told me I needed help," Acuña said, per MLB.com.
Braves first baseman Matt Olson commented on the unusual play, stating, "(Acuña) had a little angel on his shoulder tonight, or something."
The Braves secured their eighth consecutive victory, extending their lead in the National League East. Atlanta holds a 70-45 record, while Miami stands at 58-58. The Braves are scheduled to play the New York Yankees on Friday, and the Marlins will face the Los Angeles Angels.