In a four-batter span on June 11 at Fenway Park, before a national television audience on Sunday Night Baseball, Xander Bogaerts made three plays that could have won him a starring role in Tom Emanski's next infomercial.
First, Bogaerts ranged to his left, slid to stop a hard grounder and bounced a throw to first base. Then, the Boston Red Sox shortstop drifted to his right, played a chopper in the hole on the long hop and fired a strike to first. And finally, he made a full-extension dive to gobble up a grounder up the middle and threw out a slow runner at first.