Desmond jets to year's fastest inside-the-parker

June 14th, 2019

DENVER – Bowing to baseball’s work-a-day nature, the Rockies’ tried not to cling too preciously onto a feat like his sixth-inning, inside-the-park home run Friday night. And he was ready to flush the way the evening ended, with an improbable bullpen collapse in a 16-12, 12-inning loss to the Padres at Coors Field.

But at least he could smile after 5 hours, 4 minutes that ended in bitterness that must be shaken.

“I forgot everything that happened in that game,” Desmond said. “But my legs can feel the inside-the-park homer.”

The Rockies were leading, 4-3, in the sixth. Desmond, who had entered in a double-switch, lined a pitch from Miguel Diaz to the right-field corner. The ball eluded a diving Josh Naylor, and Desmond went all the way around the bases until a hands-first dive to the plate for his eighth homer of the year.

The 15.09-second trip around the bases was the fastest of the eight inside-the-park homers this year -- and the fastest for a Colorado player since Statcast began tracking such plays in 2015.

The previous best in the Majors this year was 15.14 seconds from the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier at Cleveland on May 23. The old Rockies mark, 15.38 seconds, came on the team’s other inside-the-park homer this season, by Raimel Tapia on April 20.

“The boys at the gym I work out at, Athletic Edge in Sarasota, they were texting me -- ‘This is what it gets, training over here,’” said Desmond, who also has the Majors’ longest traditional homer this season -- 486 feet Monday against the Cubs. “It was a good moment, but just like the rest of them, you put it behind you and get ready for the next day.”