Ceddanne Rafaela makes Catch of the Year candidate to rob Diamondbacks HR

The Boston Red Sox are looking to rebound from their series opening loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Payton Tolle got tagged for five runs in three innings during his second career start. On Saturday, Boston handed the ball to Lucas Giolito. And while Arizona jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, it could have been worse.

Ceddanne Rafaela made an outrageous catch, robbing Corbin Carroll of a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Carroll crushed an 81-mph changeup to deep center. But Rafaela chased the ball down. He timed his leap, planted a foot in the wall and extended his glove over the fence to bring back a sure homer.

Ceddanne Rafaela continues clutch season for Red Sox

Ceddanne Rafaela makes Catch of the Year candidate to rob Diamondbacks HR — Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

After making the catch, Rafaela remained on his knees for several seconds, leading the broadcast team to believe he hurt himself. But it just added to the drama as he eventually popped up and tossed the ball back to the infield, revealing he made the catch.

Rafaela has made his share of incredible defensive plays in a Gold Glove-caliber campaign. However, Saturday’s remarkable snare is a clear Catch of the Year candidate.

The wild grab prevented Carroll from going deep in back-to-back games against the Red Sox. He had a big night in the Diamondbacks’ 10-5 victory Friday, belting his 30th homer of the season and driving in three runs.

In addition to his dominant defense in center field, Rafaela has been clutch at the plate this season. The third-year pro has a career-high 16 home runs and 75 runs scored in 136 games. He’s also added 19 stolen bases.

The Red Sox are trying to avoid a three-game skid after winning seven of nine contests. Boston entered 4.5 games back in the AL East with a 4.5-game lead in the Wild Card standings.