Nothing can stop Hunter Pence from making this ridiculous catch
Hunter Pence, right fielder for the San Francisco Giants, has had a really tough year. In early June he completely tore his right hamstring which required surgery and kept him out of action for about two months. And he missed a game a week ago when he fouled a ball off the ground that bounced back up and hit him on the cheek. It just feels like a lot of bad luck for the bearded, wild-haired wonder.
But nothing — not injuries, bad luck, or the bullpen mound — stopped Hunter Pence from making a ridiculous falling catch when the Giants were facing the Pittsburgh Pirates at AT&T Park on Monday night.
It was the top of the fourth inning, a half-inning the Giants were pretty desperate to get out of. Over the course of seven batters, Matt Moore had walked in a run and allowed a two-run single. So with two outs, a man on second, and the Giants losing 3-2, Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison came to the plate. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Harrison swung at a ball as high as his eyeballs and launched it toward foul territory in right field, AKA Hunter Pence’s hunting ground.
Pence made a run at the ball from his position in right field, beating first baseman Brandon Belt to the punch. But as he crossed the line marking fair and foul territory, Pence’s legs buckled under him and he fell to his knees, and then onto his back. It’s easy to forget one of the lovely quirks of AT&T Park: the bullpen mounds are outside, and Pence essentially tripped over one.
That didn’t stop him from making the catch, though. The ball fell right into his glove while he was on his back, ending the inning.
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Pence’s trip-and-fall was momentarily scary, since he only returned from his severe hamstring injury a few weeks ago. But he ran off the field with no problem, and as he did the fans at AT&T Park gave him a standing ovation for his efforts.
Hunter Pence only knows one way to play baseball, and that’s the Hunter Pence way: all-out, totally committed, and a little crazy. If one play could illustrate the Hunter Pence way, it’s definitely this one.
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Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher
