ALLENTOWN — J.P. Crawford clapped three times, flipped to his feet, and enthusiastically high-fived every member of Lehigh Valley’s dugout.
Once the unanimous choice as the Phillies’ top prospect, Crawford had deceptively slid underneath the tag for an inside-the-park grand slam on Wednesday night against Gwinnett.
As Crawford rounded third base, run-scorer Mark Leiter Jr. put his hands in the air, not expecting the IronPigs’ shortstop to beat the tag — which he didn’t, but a slight pause and strategized slide allowed Crawford to evade the glove of Gwinnett catcher David Freitas.
“I was trying to not miss a fastball,” Crawford told reporters after Wednesday’s game.