Giants Baseball Insider

San Francisco Giants Slugger Has Epic, Record-Setting Game

San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey didn’t just hit a walk-off home run on Friday night, he did something no other catcher has ever done.

Matthew Postins

Apr 26, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey.
Apr 26, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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Patrick Bailey had a big night for the San Francisco Giants on Friday night as they defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0, at Oracle Park.

Walker ended a scoreless game in the ninth inning, as he drilled a three-run home run to right field for his second career walk-off home run, setting off a wild celebration. The home run scored Michael Conforto and Matt Chapman.

Up until that point, it was a frustrating evening for both teams at the plate, as each starter — San Francisco’s Kyle Harrison and Pittsburgh’s Quinn Priester — pitched six shutout innings. Their relievers came through too, at least until Bailey’s heroics.

But that wasn’t the only notable thing that Bailey did on Friday night.

He caught a shutout, helping Harrison, along with relievers Ryan Walker, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Duval, navigate the Pirates’ lineup.

He also helped turn a double play. That came in the ninth inning with Doval on the mound, as they turned a 1-2-3 twin-killing with the bases loaded to escape a jam.

Put all of that together and, per OptaStats, Bailey is the first catcher in Major League history to turn a double play, catch a shutout and hit a walk-off home run in the same game.

Bailey’s night boosted his batting average to .297, with three home runs and 10 RBI.

The 24-year-old was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2020 out of NC State and he made his Major League debut last year, when he finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting after he slashed .233/.285/.359/.644 with seven home runs and 48 RBI.

He appears poised to bury those numbers in his second season.

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Matthew Postins

MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation.