Major League Baseball has a long season, and the nights tend to run together once you hit the dog days of July and August. But the night of July 23 won’t be easily forgotten. Three teams — the Giants, Yankees and Angels, all at least on the fringe of playoff contention — beat division leaders in some of the most dramatic ways possible.
The Giants topped the Cubs with a walk-off home run, but that was tame compared to Aaron Hicks’ full-extension leaping catch with the bases loaded to beat the Twins. And the Angels ended the night by throwing Cody Bellinger out at the plate as the tying run in the Freeway Series.
One of the WILDEST nights of baseball you’ll ever see. 😯 pic.twitter.com/UgcR6T5Pnm
— MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2019
Walk-off city
It’s not just that favored son Pablo Sandoval hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning for the Giants to beat the Cubs.
This was San Francisco’s fourth walk-off victory in extra innings in its past six games. The Giants also won a fifth game in that stretch with a three-run rally in the eighth inning.
The cardiac kids have won 10 of their past 11 and 17 of their past 20 overall. The have moved above .500 and into the thick of the NL wild-card race.
Pablo Sandoval’s walk-off home run gave the @SFGiants their 17th win in their last 20 games.
That’s their best 20-game stretch since 2001.
The Giants are now 6-0 in extra innings since the All-Star break.
No other team has more than two extra-innings wins over that stretch. pic.twitter.com/9MHU9b1wHz
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 24, 2019
Game of the Year?
The Twins-Yankees game was so good it deserved its own post. Suffice it to say here that the game featured three lead changes, a tie, two go-ahead home runs and a game-saving, full-extension diving catch — all in the final three innings!
The Yankees’ 14-12 win over the Twins saw a combined five home runs, five lead changes, four blown saves and an incredible catch by Aaron Hicks. @lindseyadler on why Tuesday’s instant classic could be a preview of an epic October series between the teams. https://t.co/JbptMFBuky
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticNYC) July 24, 2019
Capping off the night
While those two games were finishing up, the Southern California grudge match between the Dodgers and Angels was just heating up.
The Angels led most of the night. That was thanks in part to Mike Trout’s perfect throw to nab Max Muncy at the plate in the second inning and his solo home run in the fifth.
But the Dodgers rallied to within 5-4 and had Cody Bellinger on second base in the ninth inning with two outs. Kiké Hernandez hit a sharp single to right field. Bellinger tried to score, but Kole Calhoun’s throw was on the money and Bellinger was out by a mile at the plate to end the game.
So that’s a walk-off homer, a walk-off diving catch and a walk-off throw. Any questions?
Kole Calhoun saved the day for the Angels. pic.twitter.com/95w960Pzsh
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 24, 2019
