After his 10th-inning walk-off home run in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Thursday night (Oct. 17), David Fry praised God and admitted he had relied on help from above. “All glory to God,” the 28-year-old Cleveland Guardians catcher told a reporter, following the 7-5 game-three victory over the New York Yankees.
“I had a really bad first at-bat and strikeout,” Fry said. “And I just told God, I said, ‘Take it, man. Just take the at-bat.’” Later, during his post-game press conference, the night’s hero reiterated those comments. “I just told God, ‘Hey man, take this. It’s a tough matchup. Just try to have fun and you take the at-bat.’”
.@laurenjbara catches up with David Fry of @CleGuardians following his massive walk-off HR in Game 3 of the #ALCS ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/eySu0wGOS5
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) October 18, 2024
Fry, a Christian who partners with Jesus Won Apparel, spoke about the role his faith plays in high-stakes sports moments. “I try to give it to God, and I’m just trying to have the slowest heartbeat I can,” he said. “It’s tough in those situations to try to stay within yourself.”
The Guardians, who now trail the Yankees 2-1 in the best-of-seven ALCS, will try to even the series tonight at home. Cleveland hasn’t won a World Series since 1948, the longest current title drought in Major League Baseball.
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Cleveland Guardians Pitcher: God Writes the Script
During five innings Thursday, Guardians starting pitcher Matt Boyd allowed one run and two hits. The 33-year-old, who signed with the team in June, walked three batters and struck out four.
In his nine years in the majors, Boyd, an outspoken Christian, has faced injuries, surgeries, and many team changes. After having Tommy John surgery in June 2023, he went more than a year without a big-league start. Boyd also faced the uncertainty of being a free agent after last season.
Before his Oct. 12 game-five start in the American League Divisional Series (ALDS) against the Detroit Tigers, his most recent team, Boyd spoke about the turn of events. “I don’t write the script,” he said. “But the One who does writes it a lot better than me, as I’ve said many times.”
After Cleveland advanced to the ALCS, the veteran pitcher expressed appreciation for getting another chance to play baseball. Boyd said while he recovered from surgery, his daughter repeatedly asked when he’d be part of a new team. “When God shows us who to sign with, we’ll do that,” he told her.
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Pitcher Matt Boyd Says He Is God’s ‘Handiwork’
On social media, Boyd proclaims that he is “playing for an audience of one.” The pitcher and his wife, Ashley, founded Kingdom Home in 2018 to fight sex slavery. The organization rescues children from the sex trade in Uganda and also works to prevent human trafficking.
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