Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came off the bench and nearly stole the show in a tense faceoff against Aroldis Chapman. With a runner on and the game on the line, Vladdy stepped in cold to pinch hit. Chapman threw everything at him — 97, 98, even 101 mph fastballs, along with a sharp slider. Vladdy fouled off pitch after pitch, staying alive in the count and working one of the longest at-bats Chapman’s ever thrown.
The crowd was locked in as the two went back and forth. Vladdy stayed patient on outside fastballs and fought off tough inside heat. He saw fastballs over 100 mph and adjusted to off-speed sliders with poise. Finally, on a 2-2 pitch, he put a ball in play that led to a double play. No late-game heroics, but the effort didn’t go unnoticed. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. His teammates greeted him with high fives and pats on the back. It was a tense, gutsy at-bat that showed why Guerrero belongs in the big leagues.