It’s become increasingly common in recent years for teams to trot out position players to get the final few outs on the mound in blowout games. The overwhelming majority of these appearances follow a similar script: The position player—usually a guy who primarily finds himself at the end of the bench—lobs pitches toward the plate at speeds so slow that it’s a marvel they travel the full 60'6". Eventually, the batters hit enough of those meatballs directly to defenders to record three outs and bring a merciful end to the game.
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford’s pitching debut on Sunday afternoon did not follow that script.
With the Giants up 13–3 headed into the final inning, manager Gabe Kapler saw the opportunity to let Crawford live out a previously unfulfilled big league dream. The veteran had been given the day off, but Kapler approached him in the batting cage as the ninth inning neared and asked if he wanted to pitch. Crawford accepted.
