Baseball got a little weird on Tuesday night, but the most wonderfully bizarre moment happened in San Francisco, with the Giants fighting for their playoff lives against the Reds. World Series hero and ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner was called on to pinch hit against Cincinnati ace closer Aroldis Chapman, and a seven-pitch battle ensued.
Madison Bumgarner draws pinch-hit walk against Aroldis Chapman
Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
Bumgarner, who captured the Silver Slugger Award in 2014 as the best hitting pitcher in the National League, is a cinch to win it again in 2015, with his five home runs. Down 8-5, Bumgarner represented the tying run, but that wasn’t the result. He was down 0-2, and even fouled off a 100-mph fastball, then worked a walk against Chapman, which was remarkable in its own right.
Madison Bumgarner is 1st batter this season to walk vs Aroldis Chapman after being down in count 0-2. 57 hitters faced 0-2 count (41 K'd)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 16, 2015
Chapman and the Reds would ultimately cough up the lead in the ninth inning, but were rescued by a Todd Frazier home run in the 10th, giving Cincinnati a 9-8, extra-inning win.
The Reds may have won the war, but the Giants and Bumgarner won an epic battle.
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