Giants Catcher Patrick Bailey Makes MLB History with Inside-the-Park Home Run
SAN FRANCISCO — A powerful swing from Patrick Bailey sent a fastball from Phillies reliever Jordan Romano soaring into Triples Alley, marking a historic moment for the Giants catcher on Tuesday night.
As Bailey rounded third base, he was greeted by a jubilant mob of teammates at home plate, celebrating his achievement as only the third catcher in Major League Baseball history to hit a game-ending, inside-the-park home run.
The three-run homer, which registered an impressive exit velocity of 103.4 mph, struck the brick wall at Oracle Park and bounced back into center field, where Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh scrambled to retrieve it.
Initially aiming for a triple, Bailey's plans shifted when he spotted third base coach Matt Williams signaling him to continue running. "Off the ball I just knew I got it well," Bailey reflected. "I saw it was towards Triples Alley and I was like, 'Oh I gotta go. I at least gotta get to third.' Once I saw the bounce, I was like 'All right, just don't fall over.'"
This victory marked the ninth time this season that the Giants clinched a win in their final at-bat, leading all teams in Major League Baseball.
Remarkably, it was the first walk-off inside-the-park home run in nearly nine years, with Cleveland's Tyler Naquin being the last player to achieve this feat on August 19, 2016.
Bailey's dramatic hit propelled the Giants to a 4-3 victory, igniting cheers from the Oracle Park crowd as he crossed home plate.
"He has gotten some big hits this year," Giants manager Bob Melvin noted. "In big situations he's come through. Not as much as he would like. Hopefully that's something that catapults him. Haven't seen him drive a ball like that in a while."
When asked if he had ever hit an inside-the-park home run before, Bailey couldn't recall any instances at any level. Despite the excitement of this moment, he admitted he would have preferred a traditional home run. "Tired," he said when asked about his feelings post-run. "I wished it would have gone over the fence."
