Aroldis Chapman had a game he’ll never erase from his memory for all the wrong reasons on Saturday night.
The closer was sent to the mound in the ninth to extend Game 6 of the ALCS, after teammate DJ LeMahieu smacked a two-run homer in the top of the inning to tie the game at 4s. But straight out of a nightmare, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve smacked a two-run shot of his own to walk-off Houston to the World Series.
Chapman had a peculiar reaction, as fans noticed a smile on the pitcher’s face after the hit. But come on people, this grin clearly wasn’t out of joy. Per MLB.com. Chapman explained that at the moment the ball left the park, he simply “couldn’t believe it”.
Yeah, we had a feeling he wasn’t thrilled about it! The baseball world still poked fun at the situation.
Chapman was reportedly devastated after the game, heading to the dugout immediately after and remaining in his stall with a towel over his head. He hasn’t been the first pitcher to crack a smile in a huge moment, nor will he likely be the last. Yankees great Mariano Rivera had a similar reaction after getting walked off during the 2001 World Series.
Let’s just remember that everyone’s human, okay?
(H/T FTW)
