Bottom of 9th, 2 Strikes, 2 Outs; Rookie Ruins Pitching Gem With Walk-Off Grand Slam
The Washington Nationals were cruising along against the Chicago Cubs Sunday night, right up until the very last out.
That’s when David Bote stepped to the plate and ended it with one swing of the bat.
Nats starter Max Scherzer was doing what he almost always does — pitching a dominant game. In this case, it was a three-hit, no-run gem for seven innings. The Nats scored two insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run single by Ryan Zimmerman to take a 3-0 into the bottom of the ninth.
Ryan Madson came on in relief to slam the door. What could go wrong?
Bottom of the 9th, two outs, two strikes, bases loaded, down three, rookie pinch-hitter:
Take it away, David Bote. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/ZXzHaV0u5V
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 13, 2018
Madson got the first batter, Ben Zobrist, to ground out. The next batter, Jason Heyward hit a chopper to second baseman Wilmer Difo that Difo fielded and dropped as he went to throw to first.
It was clearly an error, but the official scorer ruled it an infield hit. Either way, Heyward was on first with one out.
So the Cubs were down to their final out. Wilson Contreras was up next and he was hit by pitch, and there was no doubt this time as Madson drilled him just below the right shoulder. With the bases loaded and two outs, rookie David Bote was sent to the plate as a pinch hitter for pitcher Justin Wilson.
And the rest is history.
Ship it. ⛵️#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/uZFLJ2WtOK
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 13, 2018
Bote took a 2-2 pitch from Madson and drilled it deep over the wall in centerfield. There was no doubt from the crack of the bat — it was a walk-off grand slam to give the Cubs the 4-3 win.
David Bote just hit the Golden Homer: a walk-off grand slam, down three, and with his team down to his last strike.
For all the years we have pitch data, there are just two other Golden Homers: Chris Hoiles on 5/17/1996 and Alan Trammell on 6/21/1988.
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) August 13, 2018
“When you round those bases and we got the ‘W’ and I’m seeing my teammates at home plate jumping around because we got the win, it’s just magical,” Bote said after the game, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. It couldn’t happen to a better team, a better group of people in that clubhouse that I’m so blessed and honored to be a part of.”
https://twitter.com/Cubs_Live/status/1028841637848539142
Bote, called up to the majors after Kris Bryant went on the DL, has made a huge impact in a short time with the Cubs. In addition to his walk-off grand slam, Bote hit a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth July 26 against the Reds. Anthony Rizzo followed with a walk-off home run to win it.
The win allowed the Cubs (68-49) to gain a game on the Brewers in the NL Central as Atlanta beat the Milwaukee Sunday 8-7. The Cubs now lead Milwaukee by 3 games.
Making his first home start since he was traded to the Cubs July 27 from Texas, Cole Hamels was lights out. He gave up one run and one hit over seven innings.
“Those guys threw an unbelievable game,” Bote said, according to the Sun-Times. “That was incredible to watch. Just the precision, the execution [on] both sides. That was a great game to be a part of. Hats off to Hamels, hats off to Scherzer.”
And hats off to David Bote.
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