Carlos Santana Promises Cancer Patient He’ll Hit a Homer, Actually Hits a Homer

“I remembered, and I said, ‘Thank you, God,’ for letting me do that,” Santana said.

It was just a solo homer that gave the Phillies a little insurance in a game they would go on to win by five runs, but it meant so much more to one fan in the crowd. 

The Phils had a special guest in attendance for batting practice on Saturday afternoon, a 13-year-old named Anthony Garcia who has spent the past five months battling leukemia, according to Philly.com. Anthony got a custom jersey from manager Gabe Kapler with his name and Santana’s number and was able to hang out on the field during batting practice. 

During BP, Anthony got a chance to speak with Santana, who promised he’d hit a homer for him. Sure enough, in the bottom of the fifth, Santana crushed an upper deck shot that pushed the Phillies’ lead to 6–1. 

Watch the run below: 

“I remembered, and I said, ‘Thank you, God,’ for letting me do that,” Santana told Philly.com. “Everything I do, I do from my heart.”

The Phillies went on to beat the Marlins 8-3, retaining their spot atop the NL East.