7.) August 1st vs Indians
Brian Goodwin bat flip walk-off home run (2-1)
Brian Goodwin was outstanding for the Chicago White Sox during the 2021 season.
Brian Goodwin gave the MLB one of the most epic bat flips of the year. Goodwin connected on a Nick Wittgren 3-1 fastball and sent it 371 feet into the right-field stands. Despite being a low line drive, Goodwin knew it was gone as soon as it left the bat. He took two steps out of the batter’s box and causally launched the bat into orbit before embarking on his home run trot.
The win completed a series victory over the Indians and extended the White Sox division lead to nine games. The White Sox had a 57.7% chance to win the game when Goodwin came up to bat with one out in the ninth.
He then proceeded to send the fans home happy. The bat flip is what makes this moment so memorable. The game itself did not have much action. Tony La Russa trotted out Jimmy Lambert as an opener, signaling he did not put too much emphasis on this Sunday afternoon game.
Myles Straw homered in the third inning to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. Jose Abreu got hit by a pitch in the fifth inning with the bases loaded to tie the game. Cal Quantrill tosses a quality start for the Indians but it would not be enough. Reynaldo Lopez, Aaron Bummer, Craig Kimbrel, and Liam Hendriks combined to throw six scoreless innings out of the bullpen which set up Goodwin for his game-winning home run.