Athletics’ Denzel Clarke wows pals, circle of relatives, Varsho with catch

TORONTO — Denzel Clarke had performed at Rogers Centre prior to — simply by no means reasonably like this.

With the Blue Jays main 6-3 Friday, Alejandro Kirk led off the ground of the fourth inning with what will have to were a house run to straightaway centre box. But Clarke, a Toronto local who performed right here on the Canadian Futures Showcase whilst rising up, concept he had an opportunity to make a play.

As the ball sailed towards the centre box wall, Clarke sprinted again to the caution observe the place he planted his proper foot at the wall, hung on for stability along with his proper hand and reached as much as try a sensational catch along with his glove.

“And I was able to pull it down,” he stated from the Athletics clubhouse afterwards. “Everything came together on it, so I was super happy about it.” 

While the Blue Jays nonetheless beat the Athletics 11-7, the 25-year-old Clarke used to be one of the crucial stars of this recreation, turning Kirk’s near-homer right into a 407-foot out, just about robbing Nathan Lukes of an extra-base hit within the 6th and accumulating the primary run batted in and multi-hit recreation of an MLB profession that began simply remaining week.

Before the season started, Clarke checked when the Athletics had been visiting Toronto within the hopes that he’d have earned his manner onto the big-league group through then. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” he stated Thursday afternoon.  

Then, only one week into his big-league profession he used to be taking part in at house in entrance of an estimated 150-200 family and friends at the identical box he’d as soon as cheered for the likes of Aaron Hill, J.P. Arencibia and Jose Bautista.

But whilst Clarke as soon as drew inspiration from the ones Blue Jays, this time it used to be his flip to provoke the house group. When Clarke robbed Kirk within the fourth inning, Gold Glove centre fielder Daulton Varsho used to be gazing from the on deck circle because the 6-foot-4 former fourth-round pick out scaled the wall.

“I was pretty impressed,” Varsho stated. “He’s a massive human so he probably could have jumped and caught it, but him sticking his foot in that wall was very impressive.” 

As the video replay performed at the centre box scoreboard, Clarke seemed as much as assess his trail to the ball.

“I always like seeing if my route was good, if I timed it out well,” he stated.

Like Varsho, Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider used to be inspired through the athleticism Clarke confirmed off Friday.

“That’s a hell of a catch,” Schneider stated. “Young dude, exciting. You can see where there’s a lot of tools there. And cool for him to come back home and do that. Glad that didn’t beat us, but I’m sure it’s cool for him and his family, his friends.” 

Two innings after robbing Kirk, Clarke just about made some other impressive catch when Lukes hit a ball into the left-centre box hole. After first of all misreading the ball, Clarke adjusted and sprinted again at complete pace prior to crashing into the wall as he tried a backhanded catch.

As the ball ricocheted away, Clarke fell to the caution observe whilst concurrently catching the ball on one hop and flipping it backhanded to left fielder CJ Alexander, who had come over to again up the play.

“I was kind of rushing myself as I got to the wall — not as composed as I usually am, but you’re going to make mistakes in this game,” Clarke stated. “I’m always just trying to be aware, heads-up. We have great outfielders, so I knew my corners would be backing me up, I knew CJ was going to be there. Looked up, flipped it to him and we kept the play going.”

As the ball made its as far back as the infield, Lukes stopped at 2nd with a double. From the Blue Jays’ dugout, Varsho used to be inspired through the hassle.

“That was really hard,” Varsho stated. “He was really close to catching that ball. It’s one of those plays where it’s do or die and you live with the consequences.”

Just seven video games into his big-league profession, Clarke nonetheless has so much to be informed. He accumulated only one hit in his first 19 at-bats prior to Friday, hanging out 15 occasions. But after drawing a stroll and including two hits towards the Blue Jays, he in the end has some momentum on the plate — and it’s abundantly transparent he has the abilities to be an elite defender in centre.

A crowd of 36,951 Blue Jays enthusiasts can now verify that with their very own eyes.

“They’re always going to bring the energy, they’re always going to bring a great fan base,” Clarke stated. “It’s our job to punch back whenever we can.”