© Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — By the ninth inning of the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the San Francisco Giants were trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by the final score of 15-6. Many of the seats at AT&T Park that were initially filled by eager fans were left empty as the Giants inched closer to impending defeat.
Nonetheless, the Giants rewarded those loyal fans who endured through their devastating loss with an unexpected pitching performance in the ninth.
As Austin Jackson pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot in the bottom of the eighth, the lack of a reliever warming up in the bullpen hinted that something unusual was about to take place.
Shortly after Alan Hanson popped out to end the inning, Pablo Sandoval trotted from the dugout, but didn’t assume his normal position a third base.
Instead, he headed for the mound.
Sandoval retired all three of the batters he faced — Max Muncy, Yasmani Grandal, and Chris Taylor — for the only 1-2-3 innings by the Giants in the entire game.
https://twitter.com/Starting9/status/990378831579099136
Pablo Sandoval's curveball to Chris Taylor for a whiff,
This makes me happy. pic.twitter.com/SlwFacZ7Vn
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) April 28, 2018
Now pitching… Pablo Sandoval 🐼 pic.twitter.com/NI9vOr6raD
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 29, 2018
When asked why he chose Sandoval to pitch the ninth inning, Bochy said it was because, “he can throw right or left handed, depending on who’s hitting. He’s always having fun on the mound, throwing to the catcher. I knew he had a pretty good delivery, I didn’t know it was quite this clean. He had a breaking ball like that, it was legit. He hit 87, that’s pretty impressive.
“I knew without question that he’d want to do it,” Bochy added. “He just loves playing baseball. He says, ‘I’m ready to catch, and he’s ready to do anything. He was the perfect guy for today.”
Sandoval’s pitching arsenal featured a four-seam fastball that touched 88 miles per hour, a wicked changeup, and unexpectedly devastating curveball. Sandoval was asked where he learned to throw a curveball like that, he replied “you don’t learn a good curveball. You’re born with that.”
“Bochy asked me about it in the seventh,” Sandoval added. “He asked if I could pitch an inning and I said, ‘for sure.’ He said, ‘be ready, in case they score more runs you’re going to be our pitcher.’”
Walking past AT&T Park, you would’ve guessed the Giants were winning based on the sound of the excited crowd. In reality, Sandoval’s pitching appearance helped alleviate the woes of a tough loss.
“It did bring some levity to a real long game,” Bochy said. “The club needed it in this respect that we’re trying to save some arms for tonight and tomorrow.
“With that said, it was pretty impressive what he did,” Bochy added. “The delivery. He threw strikes. It was our only 1-2-3 inning.”
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