BOSTON — Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser ranks in the 95th percentile in arm strength among major league fielders.
The Red Sox decided during their pre-series scouting process that they weren’t going to challenge his arm.
The strategic decision came into play during the 11th inning of a 4-3 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Speedy Nate Eaton represented the tying run at third base. Rookie Roman Anthony hit a 265-foot fly ball to center field for the second out of the inning. Eaton remained at third instead of challenging Cowser, then Alex Bregman, the next hitter, popped out to shortstop to end the game.
Cowser’s throw ended up being off-line, but it didn’t matter with Eaton not running.
“That’s an impact arm in center field,” manager Alex Cora said. “We prepare before the series and we decide who we’re going to challenge or not. So we didn’t challenge it.”
Third base coach Kyle Hudson and Eaton were constantly communicating with each other.
“The whole time the ball’s in the air, we’re talking,” Eaton said. “He’s talking in my ear, letting me know.”
Ultimately, it was Hudson’s decision.
“Staying with the play the whole time, watching the play develop, understanding the work that went into it, understanding that’s an impact arm in center field,” Hudson said. “You see the play develop and use your instincts and make the decision. That’s the decision I made. Obviously, the throw was off-line. We gotta live with it. And I live with it. It is what it is at this point.”
Eaton ranks in the 95th percentile in sprint speed. He has been successful on 17-of-19 stolen base attempts in the majors.
“We know how fast he is,” Hudson said. “And so all that comes into play in that moment right there. I just felt like he (Cowser) was close enough. And with obviously the advanced work that I’ve done, I felt like he had a good shot to be able to make it a play. And that’s the decision I made in the moment.”
Hudson said taking into account the depth of the fly ball is a huge variable.
“The arm that he has and the distance that he was from home plate, I thought he had a good chance to make a play at home plate,” Hudson said. “So that’s why I made the decision I did.”
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