D-Backs' Tommy Pham reveals thought process behind allowing Jace Peterson to pinch-hit: "Wanted my dawg to get his first WS at-bat"
D-backs DH Tommy Pham went 4-4 last night against the Rangers as Arizona obliterated Texas 9-1 in Game 2 of the World Series. Could Pham have gone 5-5 and etched his name into record books for being the only player to achieve that feat in the Fall Classic? Probably yes, but instead, Pham gave up his last at-bat to allow Jace Peterson to pinch-hit for him.
Peterson had made it to the roster for two games previously but couldn't make it to the starting lineup. Moreover, all his hopes of achieving an at-bat during the Fall Classic were bleak. However, DH Pham stepped in and discussed his decision to allow Jace to pinch-hit with manager Torey Lovullo, which resulted in Peterson earning his first-ever WS at-bat.
"Tommy Pham commented on an Insta post that he had a chance for the first 5-for-5 game in World Series history. He asked to be pinch-hit so Jace Peterson could get his first WS at-bat. Baseball is the BEST" - SlangsOnSports
It's interesting to observe Pham's choice and reaction. He declared in the open that he sacrificed his chance to make World Series history to support his friend. He also emphasized the significance of the World Series to everyone who has put in a lot of effort to get there by doing this. Peterson will now have a lifelong recollection of an at-bat during the World Series.
Tommy Pham has become mediocre in baseball
In Pham's second at-bat, he poked a middle-away fastball down the right-field line for an opposite-field double following a swinging bunt single in his first plate appearance.
"Tommy Pham crushes a home run in Game 1 of the World Series" - Baseball Bros
Shortly after, on a single by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., he would score the D-backs second run of the game. He hit a ground ball double inside the first base bag on his third trip to the dish, the same as his second. With a laser line drive up the middle of the eighth inning, Pham finished the day 4-for-4.
Pham is not the same player or athlete he was at this point in his career. He feels St. Louis Cardinals' decision to keep the twitchy outfielder in the minors for an embarrassingly long period cost him much of his peak. However, in 2017, Pham made a spectacular comeback with a 6.2 bWAR season.
However, in the last five years, he has become a brute hitter, frequently being traded from a mediocre ballclub to a contender to overwhelm left-handed pitchers and deliver in the MLB.