There was no sting in this one, only a strange little entry in the record book.
Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, but Seth Halvorsen’s offering arrived at just 32.6 mph after bouncing on its way to the plate. Los Angeles had already built a 10-4 win by the time Gilbert took the odd plunking on his right thigh.
Quick facts
- Dodgers 10, Giants 4 on Saturday.
- Gilbert was hit on a 1-2 pitch in the ninth inning.
- Halvorsen’s pitch was measured at 32.6 mph.
- It is the slowest hit-by-pitch recorded in the pitch-tracking era, which began in 2008.
- Halvorsen was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday as part of Dodgers roster moves.
The pitch moved past the previous low-velocity record for a hit batter: a 34.2 mph delivery by Reds pitcher Jose Trevino that struck Pirates hitter Jake Mangum on May 2.
Halvorsen is usually on the other end of the radar-gun spectrum. The right-hander carries an average fastball velocity of 98.9 mph, making the 32.6 mph mishap all the more unusual.
He appeared to lose his footing during the delivery, possibly slipping or catching a cleat spike in the mound. The motion pulled him out of his normal mechanics, though he managed to send the ball in the general direction of home plate.
Gilbert happened to be in that direction. The ball bounced before reaching him and caught his right thigh, likely doing little more than producing a moment of disbelief in a game already headed to the Dodgers.
It was the second notably soft hit-by-pitch in as many weeks. Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo hit Twins infielder Brooks Lee with a 39.9 mph pitch the previous Saturday, but Halvorsen’s accidental blooper now owns the record.
