Friday’s Hot Clicks: USWNT Goalie Ashlyn Harris Has a Pretty Sweet Baseball Swing

The USWNT really can do everything.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images | Washington Nationals/Twitter

The USWNT really can do everything

USWNT defender Ali Krieger and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris got to soak up the sights and sounds of Nationals Park on Thursday when Krieger was invited to throw out the first pitch before Washington’s game against the Rockies. They also got to step into the batting cages, where Harris showed off an impressive swing. Just listen to the sound of the ball hitting the barrel. 

“Of course she can swing a baseball bat, she’s a professional athlete,” you’re probably saying. But don’t you remember that video of Giannis Antetokounmpo embarrassing himself in the cages at Yankee Stadium by striking out against a tee?

Alley-Oops. @Giannis_An34 pic.twitter.com/0YTCSTvXQm

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 15, 2019

Swinging a bat, especially a big leaguer’s wooden bat when you’re only 5'9", isn’t easy. 

Krieger is no slouch, either. Her first pitch was a strike right down the middle, despite her fiancée’s doubts. 

Maybe pitching is easier than it looks

Having exhausted all other options, the Orioles were forced to turn to outfielder Stevie Wilkerson to close out Thursday’s 16-inning marathon against the Angels. He managed to work a 1-2-3 inning and earn the save, becoming the first position player to ever do so. 

He did it by throwing about half as hard as most actual relievers. 

Wilkerson threw 14 pitches, 10 of them for strikes. They clocked in on the radar gun between 53 mph and 56 mph, plus two pitches to Albert Pujols that were apparently too slow to be picked up by radar. MLB’s pitch tracking system generously described them as curveballs. 

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Around the sports world

The Clippers are building their own arena so they won’t have to share one with the Lakers anymore. ... The WNBA is going to experiment with hockey-style substitutions during tomorrow’s All-Star Game. ... The Patriots are moving quarterback Danny Etling to receiver. ... LSU is going to start selling alcohol at football games, as if LSU fans weren’t drunk enough already. 

Wild video of a scary situation for two Arsenal players

That’s usually good advice

Farewell to Troy Tulowitzki, who announced his retirement yesterday

I live for people roasting Darren Rovell

Tarik Cohen showed up to training camp like Batman

Tarik Cohen’s entrance. pic.twitter.com/3O8lc1oPMS

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) July 25, 2019

This is why players take conditioning tests

Scenes from Giants camp

Probably smart to trade this guy, though

Here’s a man with his priorities in order

Shouldn’t the graphic read “playing with 10 men (and one cat)”?

Not sports

A college student digging for dinosaur bones found a 65-million-year-old triceratops skull. ... A Colorado truck driver was busted for trying to use a bottle of red Gatorade in place of a tail light. ... Some runaway yaks attacked a hiker in Massachusetts. ... It’s so hot in Paris that cheesemongers are having to change how they do business. ... A man at a thrift shop in Queens discovered a drawing worth $200,000. 

A million times worse than taking your shoes off on a plane

Every shot is better than the last

It’s easy to get in way too deep on a prank

The first Zombieland was pretty good

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.