Bend It Like Morton
When we talk about a pitcher helping their cause, we usually picture them slapping a single into right field just deep enough to score the runner on second. Or maybe they laid a beautiful sacrifice bunt that made the difference between the runner scoring and dying on the basepaths. But for a seasoned veteran like Charlie Morton, it meant something else entirely on Friday night.
https://gfycat.com/similarsilverjackrabbit-baseball-atlanta-marlins-braves-miami-2021-mlb
Reacting to a ball hit back to you is really hard, and we’ve all seen countless examples of the ball going through the pitcher’s legs, or just missing their glove on the recoil, but Charlie Morton has also seen countless examples of it done to him, so clearly he’s taken the time to master the art of redirecting that ball. Perhaps he should look into a post-MLB career with soccer.
Position. Player. Pitching.
I have to admit, there’s no greater joy for me than watching a position player pitch. I don’t even know if I can describe it. It’s just a pure, simple joy in life. Like when you twist open an Oreo and you perfectly get the creme all on one side.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1413711478415413251
Happy for you Pat Valaika.
Seeing Double
We get two position players pitching in one day?! This is incredible. Phillies shortstop Ronald Torreyes is really having himself a comeback season. He hit his first home run since 2017 (and already has two home runs on the year), has started 30 games this season at shortstop (the most he’s started also since 2017), and got to make his pitching debut today against the Red Sox and pitched a scoreless inning to boot.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1413692732917358592
The tweet isn’t wrong.
The Longest Inning
It’s been a long season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. As if being in the cellar isn’t bad enough, they have games like today where the 6th inning took over 30 minutes as the Pirates needed three separate pitchers to give up 10 runs in one inning, capped off by this grand slam by Francisco Lindor to make it a 10-run ballgame.
SLAMcisco Lindor! 💥 pic.twitter.com/caUDJjJYKa
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 10, 2021
As if that wasn’t bad enough, this game also featured not one but two home runs from Jonathan Villar, neither of which came in the 6th inning, and one from each side of the plate, which is always a fun feat for the switch hitters of the world.
.@JRvillar6 ties it up! #LGM pic.twitter.com/5TRKGDwAYt
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 9, 2021
.@JRvillar6 has homered from both sides of the plate and this one was a no-doubter! pic.twitter.com/9qoa7Hp6mn
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 10, 2021
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)