May 8, 2019

Sandoval: First Player In 104 Years To Hit Home Run, Steal A Base, Pitch Scoreless Inning

On Monday in Cincinnati, Pablo Sandoval of the Giants hit a home run, stole a base, and pitched a scoreless inning. He is the first major league player in 104 years to do all three things in the same game.

In San Francisco's 12-4 loss to the Reds, Sandoval stole third base in the second inning, hit a three-run homer in the sixth, and pitched the bottom of the eighth. He threw 10 pitches, hitting the leadoff batter, but then getting a fly out to center and a double play. The stolen base was his first since 2012.

Chief Johnson of the Kansas City Packers (Federal League) accomplished that trifecta of events on August 14, 1915, pitching a 6-0 shutout. His home run came in the top of the ninth.

Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson did it on May 23, 1905, pitching a complete game 7-0 shutout. Like Sandoval, Mathewson wore a Giants uniform (though the team was based in New York back then) and was playing against the Reds.

(The last player to pitch in a game and hit a home run and steal a base was Cleveland's Mudcat Grant on May 7, 1964. When Grant went deep, the original Tito Francona was on first base.)

1 comment:

Jere said...

Why can't WE get fries with that?