Sports are at their best when the players are wearing their emotions on their sleeves and letting those emotions out when something big happens for them.
Guardians reliever James Karinchak did just that during Monday night’s win over the Yankees after he struck out New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton in a key moment late in the game.
Karinchak came in to pitch the eighth inning for Cleveland and gave up a triple to the first hitter he faced. With the Guardians clinging to a one-run lead, Karinchak got Aaron Judge to pop up to second, he struck out Anthony Rizzo, and finished the inning with a huge strikeout of Stanton.
Karinchak’s reaction to that strikeout was everything that’s great with sports:
James Karinchak's 2Ks...and Loses his Mind. 😱 pic.twitter.com/5vPTVw3rLB
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 11, 2023
That kind of energy in a baseball game in April is just tremendous. I also love how he was so pumped up that his chest bump knocked off his catcher’s helmet.
MLB fans loved it:
Give me more celebrations like this. Emotion makes the game fun. https://t.co/03cBxeMvsh
— Justin Hunter (@polluterofminds) April 11, 2023
I continue to love this guy
— J🥝sh Fenster (@jDfenz) April 11, 2023
What a savage on the mound https://t.co/SmJxA8bJo5
This is baseball https://t.co/bEzFV1BZJZ
— Casey Kowalczyk (@CaseyKowalczyk2) April 11, 2023
Baseball. I love it when they show emotion. https://t.co/XNcexGahnK
— Andrés (@andyrocha23) April 11, 2023
I love this dude 🤣💯 https://t.co/gu1bIVpf42
— Gerald Nervis Jr. (@nolimitnervo) April 11, 2023
this energy is what baseball needs https://t.co/Fy8HYkQS2O
— Skiiiiii (@BohmForMVP) April 11, 2023