PLAY OF THE YEAR: Astros’ Chas McCormick preserves Game 5 win with ‘insane’ catch, leaves imprint on ground

PHILADELPHIA – Houston Astros center fielder Chas McCormick made a name for himself at his hometown with an “all-time play” during Game 5 of the World Series Thursday night.

At the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, Phillies’ JT Realmuto was at bat with Astros closing pitcher Ryan Pressly at the mound.

Pressly pitches and Realmuto hits a fly ball toward the center field. McCormick ran quickly towards the wall, jumped high, and caught the ball with his glove while slamming the chain-link fence, then landed on the ground.

View Chas McCormick’s incredible catch here.

The whole crowd at Citizens Bank Park went silent.

“It’s a tough one. It’s one of my better catches. One of the most important games of my life,” McCormick said.

A Twitter user known as @TracesOfTexas took a photo of McCormick’s imprint of the catch at Citizens Bank Park.

The Astros maintained their lead with a 3-2 score over the Phillies. They now lead 3-2 in the World Series as they return to Houston for Game 6.

McCormick grew up in the Philadelphia area and was a fan of the Phillies growing up. He tells the Associated Press that this was the “play of his lifetime.”

“Honestly, I thought he hit it out,” McCormick said. “At that point, I was being really aggressive. I was going to run through a wall and catch it, no matter what.”

McCormick said the fence was flexible and he “didn’t hurt too much” in the jump.

The Houston Astros Twitter page called this moment the “play of the year.”

Game 6 is scheduled for Saturday at Minute Maid Park.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.