Manny Machado had a front-row seat for the absolute heat Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman was throwing on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
In the top of the eighth inning with the score tied 6–6, Machado batted with two outs and two runners on. One swing could tilt the game back in the San Diego Padres' favor. But it was the 36-year-old reliever who got the best of Machado in the end.
Chapman battled ahead in the count 0–2 before Machado fouled off two pitches and took a ball low that was measured at 105.1 mph. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Chapman reached back again for an extra bit of heat and found it with a 104.7-mph heater painted on the inside corner for strike three.
All Machado could do was laugh as he stood in place in the batter's box and looked toward the mound. Chapman returned a smile, knowing he got the best of the six-time All-Star.
Manny Machado was left speechless by this Aroldis Chapman 104.7 MPH fastball 😮 pic.twitter.com/w8opxiHUIO
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2024
Per MLB's Sarah Langs, that 104.7-mph fastball is the fastest strikeout pitch since pitches were first tracked in 2008. A 105.1-mph heater he threw earlier in the count was the fastest pitch so far for any MLB pitcher in 2024, and the first time Chapman topped 105 mph on the radar gun since 2016.
Goodness.
It's been an up-and-down season for Chapman, who entered Wednesday's game with a 3.67 ERA and 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 47 appearances. He proved once again Wednesday night that at age 36, Chapman can still leave hitters speechless.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aroldis Chapman's 104.7-MPH Strikeout Pitch Left Manny Machado in Disbelief.
