Bryce Eldridge delivered a walk-off grand slam that capped one of the most improbable comebacks in baseball history Wednesday night.
The San Francisco Giants stunned the Washington Nationals 11-10 at Oracle Park, erasing an eight-run deficit in the final two innings. What makes this different is how rare these comebacks actually are.
MLB teams had lost 4,291 consecutive games when trailing by at least eight runs entering the eighth inning, according to The Associated Press. The Giants became the first team to break that streak and win it with a grand slam.
They trailed 9-1 heading into the eighth.
The comeback started with back-to-back homers from Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers in the eighth. Chapman was locked in all night, collecting four hits including two home runs. The Giants scored five runs that inning to make it 10-6.
In the ninth, they kept the pressure on. Luis Arraez and Chapman opened with consecutive doubles, cutting the deficit to 10-7. After a Devers walk and a single by Jung Hoo Lee – who extended his hitting streak to 18 games – that’s where Eldridge came in.
The rookie stepped up against reliever Mitchell Parker (2-3) and launched his fourth grand slam of the season. What makes the moment even better? Eldridge is a Northern Virginia native who grew up rooting for the Nationals.
The Giants became the first team in MLB history to trail by at least eight runs in the eighth inning and win via grand slam. Sometimes the baseball gods have a sense of humor.
It’s the kind of comeback that reminds you why games go nine innings. The Giants scored 10 runs over the final two frames to complete what seemed impossible just an hour earlier.
