Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh earned the win Tuesday night against the Oakland A’s, but his real winning moment was not throwing the ball but instead, avoiding the line drive that shot back at him and threatened to destroy his face.
Luckily, McHugh appears to have exceptional reflexes. Or maybe he entered the Matrix. Either way, this dodge was wild.
In Oakland for the first of a two-game series against the A’s, Oakland’s Kendrys Morales lined a 90-mile per hour straight back at McHugh on the mound. Rather than getting drilled in the head, McHugh smoothly bent backward and avoided any real contact as the ball slid right under his chin.
Amazingly, it only grazed McHugh’s finger, per MLB.com, and Astos shortstop Carlos Correa fielded the ball and turned a double play.
Naturally, baseball had Matrix jokes because of course.
McHugh said he’s seen The Matrix before, but that’s not where his crazy reflexes came from. Via MLB.com:
“I’ve had a few close calls,” he said. “I don’t know if it gets much closer than that. But, thankfully, it wasn’t coming as hard as it probably could have been.”
The Astros pummeled the A’s, 9-1.
