Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion went deep for the third time in four games Monday night, even though he didn't leave the yard.
The Cleveland slugger legged out an inside-the-park homer against the Angels after his drive into the left-field corner at Angel Stadium hit the padded low wall and caromed toward center field. Angels left fielder Justin Upton reacted slowly, likely thinking the ball was foul.
Upton's delay gave Encarnacion time to circle the bases and score standing up.
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(Aside: Check out the ever-helpful Dodgers fan trying to make a play, and then supporting Upton with his left arm.)
The yellow line below the foul pole is an extension of the foul line, but how often do you see a ball hit that stripe on the fly? Just another reason this was one strange trip around the diamond.
"I (saw) when the ball hit the wall, that I (had) a good chance to make it," Encarnacion told reporters (per Cleveland.com) after the Indians' 6-0 victory.
"It was fun. Everyone was laughing about it. Everybody enjoyed, and that's good," Encarnacion added, referring to his teammates' reaction when he returned to the dugout.
This was Encarnacion's second career inside-the-parker; his first came on Aug. 31, 2007, when he was with the Reds, against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
