WEST SACRAMENTO — Lawrence Butler sprawled out throughout residence plate on his abdomen, arms prolonged. Earlier than choosing his 6-foot-3 body up off the infield filth and trotting again to the dugout, the Athletics outfielder couldn’t assist however exhale.
Take it from the final A’s participant to hit one: Inside-the-park residence runs could be fairly tiring.
“I simply keep in mind being exhausted, that’s all,” A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned.
That’s proper: Earlier than Butler smoked the primary pitch he noticed in Tuesday’s 10-1 win over the Braves for a leadoff inside-the-park homer, the latest A’s inside-the-parker belonged to his skipper — again on Oct. 4, 2006, in Sport 2 of the American League Division Sequence in Minnesota.
Almost 20 years later, Butler added his title to the ledger as a part of a historic night time. After changing into the primary A’s hitter since Elmer Valo since 1943 to guide off a sport with an inside-the-park homer, he added a solo smash over the center-field fence at Sutter Well being Park within the third.
Coming into Tuesday, the earlier A’s participant to hit inside-the-park AND over-the-fence homers in the identical sport was Billy Williams, who did so within the second sport of a doubleheader on Aug. 23, 1975.
Much more historical past was made on Tuesday: Because of Giants catcher Patrick Bailey’s wild heroics in San Francisco, it was the primary day in MLB historical past to function a leadoff inside-the-park residence run and a walk-off inside-the-park residence run.
Butler didn’t know the rarity of his huge night time, however he was joyful to listen to it.
“Shoutout to Billy Williams,” he proclaimed.
Brent Rooker and Max Muncy clubbed two-run homers in a five-run first inning, earlier than rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz slugged his first profession grand slam within the second. By the point Butler got here up for the third time (in solely the third inning), the A’s held a 9-0 lead.
It was clear Butler’s inside-the-park shot — on the primary pitch Braves starter Didier Fuentes threw — had sparked one thing.
On a center-cut 95.5 mph fastball from Fuentes, Butler sliced a 96.3 mph liner deep towards the angled wall in right-center at Sutter Well being Park. He took it gradual round first base, hoping he’d cleared the fence — till he seen one thing.
“I noticed it bounce, and that’s after I was like, ‘Alright, possibly I’ve acquired an opportunity to get all the way in which across the bases,’” Butler mentioned.
The baseball caromed towards proper area, away from each Braves heart fielder Stuart Fairchild and proper fielder Eli White.
Butler picked up his pace, and it wasn’t all that shut: He dove headfirst throughout the plate earlier than first baseman Matt Olson might even try a relay throw.
After taking 5.46 seconds to succeed in first base — in comparison with a 5.49-second mark on his over-the-fence homer — Butler rounded the bases in 15.89 seconds. Whereas Statcast monitoring wasn’t round again in 2006, to not point out Butler being unaware of Kotsay’s postseason sprint, the A’s outfielder was assured in his pace nonetheless.
“Who had the quickest time?” Butler mentioned from a chair within the A’s clubhouse, sporting filth and grass stains on each knees. “I feel I’ve acquired him beat.”
As Butler was with Triple-A Las Vegas final spring whereas the A’s performed the Braves on the street, the outfielder — who grew up in Atlanta — made his first sport towards his hometown membership memorable. Requested if he had any added motivation to face the Braves for the primary time, Butler smiled.
“It’s all the time a child’s dream taking part in towards a workforce that they grew up rooting for, so I felt like I used to be a little bit amped up at the moment as effectively,” he mentioned.
It wasn’t simply his two homers, though each actually made a splash. Butler additionally drew a stroll within the second inning and scored on Kurtz’s grand slam. Within the eighth, he made a sliding snag of a 110.9 mph Austin Riley line drive to proper area.
His huge night time was additional proof of a optimistic improvement for the A’s: Butler has not solely been one of many membership’s most gifted gamers however one in all its most dependable.
Butler’s OPS hasn’t sunk under .740 since Could 25, and his batting common has hovered round .250.
“It’s simply the consistency, actually,” Kotsay mentioned. “I feel final 12 months there have been quite a lot of peaks and valleys, and we don’t actually see the valleys as a lot.”
The peaks certain are enjoyable. Because the West Sacramento crowd roared its approval after Butler’s sprint across the baggage Tuesday night time, the outfielder unfold out throughout the plate along with his mouth open, trying concurrently proud and surprised.
Then he took a breath. Butler was drained, too.
