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A game-winning home run always brings excitement, but Patrick Bailey’s walk-off, inside-the-park home run was one that San Francisco Giants fans won't soon forget.
The catcher’s moment cemented a 4-3 Giants win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Giants manager Bob Melvin expressed hope that the wild home run would be a sign of things to come for the 26-year-old.
“He has gotten some big hits this year,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told ESPN after the victory. “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.”
Bailey joined the Chicago Cubs' Pat Moran in 1907 and Washington's Bennie Tate in 1926 as the only catchers in league history to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run.
Across 72 games, the catcher has hit two home runs and posted a .553 OPS. It has has not been a banner year for the Greensboro native thus far, but his heroics against Phillies reliever Jordan Romano were a thrilling addition to an otherwise lackluster campaign.
“Off the ball I just knew I got it well,” Bailey said. “I saw it was towards Triples Alley, and I was like, ‘Oh, I got to go. I at least got to get to third.' Once I saw the bounce, I was like, ‘All right, just don't fall over.”
While Bailey’s offense may come in spurts, his defensive prowess has separated him as one of baseball’s most fascinating catchers. Some of his most noteworthy traits do not show up in the box score, but have genuinely made a difference for a Giants team that is in Postseason contention.
According to Baseball Savant, Bailey ranks in the 100th percentile in Framing, the 91st percentile in Pop Time, and the 94th percentile in Called Strikes Above Average.
Bailey might not win a Silver Slugger any time soon, but Melvin and the Giants would certainly like to see more consistent offensive production complement his stellar defense.
