The pop of the 96 mph fastball that rocketed past Max Kepler’s bat and slammed into Cal Raleigh’s catcher’s mitt echoed Tuesday night throughout a sparsely crowded T-Mobile Park. Before the crowd of 13,019 could applaud his accomplishment, another pop of similar decibel level could be heard.
That was Logan Gilbert celebrating the inning-ending punch out by slapping the palm of his glove with the same vicious intent as the pitch he’d just thrown.
It would be his final pitch of the night.
