Patrick Bailey of the Giants achieves a historic inside-the-park home run to end the game

Bailey Hits Historic Home Run for Giants

SAN FRANCISCO – Patrick Bailey made quite the entrance into the Major League Baseball Recordbook on Tuesday night. His tightly timed swing sent a fastball from Phillies’ reliever Jordan Romano toward Triples Alley.

After sprinting around all three bases, he became only the third catcher in major league history to achieve this feat, though he was mobbed at home plate by his teammates in what some might call an internal home run that effectively ended the game.

The three-run homer, clocked at an exit speed of 103.4 mph, ricocheted off a brick wall at Oracle Park and careened into center field, prompting a chase from Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh.

“I was thinking triple at first until I saw Coach Matt Williams waving me on,” Bailey explained. “I thought I missed it, but I could tell I hit it well. Once I saw the bounce towards Triples Alley, I told myself, ‘Go for it, just don’t trip up.’”

This marked the ninth time this season that the Giants clinched a victory in their final at-bat, leading the majors in such outcomes.

Moreover, it’s noteworthy that this was the first time in nearly nine years that a player had both taken a walk and hit a home run at this park, with Tyler Nakin of Cleveland last doing so back on August 19, 2016.

As Bailey crossed home plate, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“He’s had some big moments this year,” Giants manager Bob Melvin remarked. “He came through in a crucial situation. It could really boost his confidence moving forward.”

Interestingly, Bailey wasn’t sure if he had ever hit a home run at Oracle Park at any level, but he mentioned, with a chuckle, that he preferred the traditional variety. “Yeah, this one was nice, but I’d rather just hit a homer over the fence,” he admitted.