McCovey Chronicles · Aug 9, 2024
A 1-pitch pitcher
I’d like to dispute any notion that what happened to Camilo Doval — and, by extension, the San Francisco Giants — in the 9th inning of yesterday’s eventual 9-5 win in extras was the result of bad luck or “That’s baseball!”
Yes, Luis Garcia’s game-tying 3-run home run had, according to Statcast, an expected batting average of .030, based on its 39 degree launch angle and 93.4 mph exit velocity. But it also traveled 351 feet, and based on that and its location, according to Statcast, it also would’ve been a home run in 20 out of 30 stadiums. As Bob Melvin said after the game, “You’ve got to give the guy some credit for putting the bat on the ball.”