Let’s hop in a time machine and fly back to a distant land, long, long ago: the fifth inning. The San Francisco Giants were trailing the Texas Rangers 3-1.
Jeff Samardzija had settled down after a three-run second inning, and had retired the last seven batters.
But he didn’t look good. He hadn’t struck out a batter since opening the game by K’ing Shin-Soo Choo, and while he was staying in the strike zone, his pitches were getting hit hard.
Out he came for the fifth, determined to be the first Giants starter to make it through that inning.