SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle sailors starter Logan Gilbert can thank his jersey for stopping at least one earned run Wednesday.
With a runner on third base in the first inning of the Mariners’ 5-4 win over AthleticsCarlos Cortes lined out to the Seattle right-hander and the ball accommodated in some way in Gilbert’s sweater.
Gilbert clutched his stomach and turned to locate the ball as Cortes walked down the first base line, only to find that he actually caught it — well, kind of — in his shirt.
“It happened so quickly, I wasn’t quite sure what happened,” Gilbert said. “And I mean, I was a little sore afterward. So I had to take some time.”
Cortes was credited with a single as the play was ruled dead, but Nick Kurtz remained at third base. Shea Langeliers advanced to second base.
Gilbert was aware of the rule that awarded Corte’s first base, but still considered himself lucky.
“At first I thought I was lucky it was a catch,” Gilbert said. “But I guess it wasn’t a catch. But at the same time, if they hit it straight away like 110, I don’t really feel like I deserve an edge.”
Gilbert was briefly checked out by Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson, but he stayed in the game and got through the inning. After the game, in which Gilbert gave up three runs in four innings, he revealed he had a bruise on his stomach as well as a cut on his left hand.
Otherwise, Gilbert said he was doing well, much to the relief of teammates like first baseman Josh Naylor, who hit a walk-off single on Wednesday.
“Anything that hits back to the pitcher with that exit velocity is pretty scary,” Naylor said. “You never know what’s going to happen. So I’m glad he’s doing well.”
Manager Dan Wilson praised Gilbert for bouncing back, although he did allow two earned runs on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Soderstrom and an RBI single by Jeff McNeil in the first inning. Gilbert joked after the game that he had no interest in leaving the game because the incident happened so early in the game.
“That was crazy,” Gilbert said. “That was also strange to finish through the jersey.”
APMLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
