While inside-the-park home runs aren’t nearly as common as they used to be in Major League Baseball, every so often one will still occasionally happen.
Generally, the rare feat is a result of a funny bounce off an outfield wall or a misplay by the outfielder, often resulting in a hilarious blooper.
The latest occurrence took place Wednesday at Oracle Park, as Luke Raley of the Tampa Bay Rays hit his first career inside-the-park home run against the San Francisco Giants. What made it unusual was the pinball-like bounce it took off the right field wall, rolling along the center field wall before dropping on the warning track.
It’s an unusual play all around, as the ball would have gone over the fence in most MLB parks, but San Francisco’s tall brick wall in the outfield kept it in, and Giants centerfielder Wade Meckler was unable to account for the bounce and roll, falling and allowing Raley to easily circle the bases.
This marked the 17th home run of the season for Raley, who is in the midst of his first full season at the major league level. Tampa held on to win the game, 6-1.
Ichiro Suzuki famously hit a similar home run in the 2007 MLB All-Star game en route to being named the game’s MVP.
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