SAN FRANCISCO – Here’s something you don’t see every day.
During the top of the 7th inning of Wednesday’s tilt between the San Francisco Giants and the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, Jeff Samardzija found himself in a hole. The Pirates loaded the bases, and with only one out recorded, Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams hit a chopper to Samardzija’s right.
The former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver ranged to his right, barehanded the ball and whipped it to a waiting Buster Posey. Check out the play courtesy of Ahmed Fareed and NBC Sports Bay Area:
Jeff Samardzija, athlete pic.twitter.com/XRlk1BrqIN
— Ahmed Fareed (@FareedNBCS) July 26, 2017
“Back was up against the wall there with the defense so that was just a lack of other options and had to make a play,” said Samardzija. “Obviously I’ll take the pitching every day of the week, we’ve got plenty of other guys behind me.
“I was just, like I said, doing the only option I had. I didn’t think I had a chance at first and Cervelli was running at third so I figured as long as I didn’t throw it to the backstop we can get there with two outs and get Marte with that other out or whoever was up next.”
“He looked like he was receiving a football, didn’t he?” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said following the game. “He’s so quick off the mound, he’s a good athlete. Not just that play, but they had the go-ahead run on second base and he had the hard chopper up the middle he jumped up and got. Saved a run there. For a pitcher, it’s one of the better plays I’ve seen, that’s a credit to a good athlete that was able to jump off the mound that quick.”