SEATTLE — A lucky fan walked away with two souvenirs from Monday night’s game in Seattle between the Mariners and Kansas City Royals. And they came on back-to-back pitches.
During the bottom of the first inning, Seattle’s Josh Rojas fouled consecutive pitches from Kansas City pitcher Brady Singer down the left field line. Both sliced into the stands and ended up in the hands of the same fan.
“Just unbelievable,” said Josh George, the man who caught both of the foul balls on Monday night. “I could not believe it at all. I was sitting there texting my friend about the first one and then a second one comes flying. I had to drop my phone to make that second one."
Still in disbelief, George called it a "one-in-a-million chance."
George said he wasn’t ready for the second incoming foul ball at all. It clipped his arm, and he admits the ball did hit the ground, but he came up with it to roaring cheers from the crowd.
Wearing a Mariners jersey and a Seattle Kraken hat, George made a basket catch to grab the first foul ball on the fly. The second ball appeared to land at his feet before he picked it up off the ground.
Mariners play-by-play broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith shouted, “He got both!” on the television broadcast as the fan held both baseballs in the air.
For his part, Rojas eventually was out on a fly ball to center field later in the at-bat.
George said he attended the Monday night game was supposed to be a Mother's Day gift, but when his mom could attend, he took his grandpa. The two foul balls, which Rojas signed for George on Tuesday, will be put on display at his grandpa's house.
“Gramps and I went and he’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget it," he said. "It was pretty crazy."
At the Mariners' pre-game batting practice, Rojas also informed George he's throwing out the first two pitches of Tuesday's game.