Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana is no stranger to the big moment. He came into his final at-bat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday with one thing on his mind: walk-off.
Not only did he succeed with a two-run blast into the Allegheny River, but he also made the highlight even more spectacular with a series of dance moves just before he touched home plate.
Asked about the decisive at-bat after the game, Santana admitted he came into it feeling ready for the challenge.
“I felt great for that at-bat,” Santana said, via the Associated Press. “I didn’t try to do too much and tried to get my pitch. I had a good swing, hit a home run and won the game.”
As for the dance, he just simply let the moves flow.
“Something happened,” he said with a smile. “I had to do it. It’s good.”
The walk-off against the Brewers was Santana’s eighth such game-winning hit of his career. He finished the contest with three hits, with all going for extra bases.
Santana has been one of the hottest hitters in MLB over the last four games bookended by the walk-off against the Brewers. He garnered 10 total hits extending to Pittsburgh’s previous series against the San Diego Padres.
He was exceptional for the Pirates in the month of June, slashing .287/.333/.543, with the astronomical slugging percentage ranking him amongst the best power hitters in the majors over the 30-day span.
If he continues to hit at that rate for the rest of the year, Pirates fans will be dancing along with him.
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