Phillies give Johan Rojas ovation for incredible leaping catch

With the All-Star break around the corner, the Philadelphia Phillies have established themselves as one of the best teams in MLB. The Phillies dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series that was expected to be a postseason preview. They tallied 19 total runs during the three-game series sweep, which concluded with a 5-1 win on Thursday.

Philadelphia holds a 61-32 record, the best in the majors. With a nine-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies have a stranglehold on the National League East. Their last three victories against the Dodgers, who are in second place in the National League, gave the Phillies a six-game cushion for the top seed.

Johan Rojas makes incredible leaping catch against Dodgers

One of the best moments of the series came in the bottom of the seventh inning on Thursday when Kiké Hernández hit Matt Strahm's pitch into left-center field. When the ball left the bat, it appeared that the Dodgers were set to score two, if not three, runs. Instead, the ball lost its wings before crossing over the wall.

Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas sprinted toward deep center and lunged to make a leaping catch before bouncing off the outfield wall. The catch took away an extra-base hit from Hernández.

The catch sparked a standing ovation from the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

“I’ve always said, every hitter who hits the ball toward me, if he wants it to be a hit, he’s going to have to hit it out,” Rojas said through a translator after the game. "The ball they hit, the ball I catch. If it’s not out, it’s in my glove.”

Rojas was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers after he suffered a forearm injury in Tuesday's 10-1 win. He was still dealing with soreness after being hit by a 97 mph fastball.

Rojas' offense has left a lot to be desired this season, and it even led to his demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in mid-June. He was recalled on June 28, but his 8-for-35 (.229) batting since then is still far from ideal. Regardless, Rojas has earned his spot due to his stellar defense. Moments like these serve as a reminder why Rojas hasn't been demoted again by manager Rob Thomson.

“He’s electric, he can do a lot of different things,” Thomson said after the game. “He gets a big base hit with the infield in, makes that play, can steal a base … he puts pressure on the other team.” 

Rojas finished 1-for-4 offensively on Thursday after popping up a bunt attempt in the bottom of the eighth inning.