Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Oliver Drake has made 158 appearances in his big-league career, but on Saturday, he threw the single most ridiculous pitch of his MLB career.
Facing the White Sox’s Leury Garcia in the eighth inning, Drake pitched out of a jam thanks to an 84 mph slider that broke outside towards the right-handed batter’s box. Garcia swung and miss to end the inning.
Just by reading that description, you may be asking yourself, “So what? What’s the big deal?”
Well, let me tell you. Drake is a right-handed pitcher. He threw a lefty slider with his right hand. Like, physics isn’t supposed to work this way.
That right there was straight-up sorcery.
Garcia had no chance at that pitch because, well, baseballs pitched from a right-handed pitcher aren’t supposed to do that. It was cruel that Garcia had to be the one helplessly swinging at that pitch, but it had to happen to someone.
Drake broke the laws of physics. We all saw it.
Despite the shutdown inning, the White Sox would tie the game against the Rays bullpen and win, 2-1, in 11 innings.
We’ll still never forget the time Oliver Drake threw a lefty slider with his right hand, though.
