FORT MYERS, FL- MARCH 30: Gary Sánchez #24 of the Minnesota Twins bats during a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 30, 2022 at the Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Twins almost had a walk-off home run. Unfortunately for Gary Sanchez, who apparently likes bat flips, that home run didn’t actually happen.
If you’re going to celebrate hitting a home run, it’s probably a pretty good idea to actually hit a home run first. Unfortunately, Gary Sanchez of the Minnesota Twins learned that the hard way in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday.
With a man on first and the Twins trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sanchez stepped up to the plate and apparently had his mind set on winning the game. With two outs, Sanchez was able to get contact and send the ball for a ride.
And for a brief moment, it looked like this may have been a walk-off home run. A perfect thing to celebrate! Bat flipping would have been encouraged in that situation. Starting the season with a two-run, walk-off home run would have been great for Sanchez and the Twins and that’s absolutely something to enthusiastically have fun with.
Well, uh, that didn’t happen.
Not one bit.
Minnesota Twins: Gary Sanchez bat flips on a very unfortunate fly out
So close! So very close to being a fun thing to talk about. And yet, Sanchez didn’t quite get that home run. He was definitely a few feet away from that.
Jesse Winker had to trot out to the warning track, but he was just sitting there in perfect position and was able to end the game, much to the apparent annoyance and possible embarrassment of Sanchez, who tossed his bat in a celebration that definitely never should have happened.
The Seattle Mariners were able to get a nice, respectable 2-1 win over the Twins. Maybe Sanchez and the Twins can find a way to get something to celebrate on Saturday in their second game against the Mariners?