Pitch – San Francisco

By: Jessica Wolff

Mike Lawson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) comes early to the locker room despite the fact that he is being given the day off. Amelia Slater (Ali Larter) makes fun of the team’s bobble head for Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury). Ginny is more worried about the imminent leak of her naked photos to the press. Amelia suggests that they deny that the photos are of Ginny, but Ginny doesn’t think that is a possible solution. Soon after, Amelia leaves to tell the Padres management about the photos. Ginny apologizes for driving a wedge between Amelia and Lawson, but Amelia assures her that it wasn’t her fault.

After an injury to the backup catcher, Blip Sanders (Mo McRae) reminds Lawson that rising catcher Livan Duarte (Christian Ochoa) will be brought up from the minors to back him up. Blip warns him that the situation will be just like Wally Pipp and that Duarte will eventually take Lawson’s job. Al Luongo (Dan Lauria) and Buck Garland (Jack McGee) inform Lawson of Duarte’s imminent arrival and asks him to move to first base. Lawson is upset and says that he isn’t good with moves.

In 1990, a young Lawson (Aiden Arthur) is upset about having to move. His mother (Besty Beutler) takes him to meet his new baseball coach and Lawson tells him that he wants to play first base. Luongo tells Ginny that he’s sitting her for the next game, but she says that she wants to pitch. She vents her frustrations to Lawson, who tells her that he doesn’t want to play first base but is doing what’s best for the team. Amelia goes to Oscar Arguella (Mark Consuelos) and informs him of the soon to be leaked pictures. Oscar gets angry that Amelia didn’t inform him sooner and points out that Ginny is going to be scrutinized harder than any male athlete.

Oscar brings Duarte in to meet Lawson and they instantly don’t like each other. Lawson is unhappy about Oscar signing Duarte and is not convinced when Oscar tells him that Duarte replacing him at catcher is only temporary. Ginny asks Amelia how the talk with Oscar went and tells her that they are skipping her start in San Francisco. Amelia tells Ginny that she didn’t expect representing the first female MLB player to be easy and Ginny tells her that she can deal with critics, but not being benched.

The team arrives in San Francisco and Blip tries to comfort Ginny about not starting. Ginny tells him about the naked photos and he tells her that it was stupid to take those photos in the first place. He tells her that he’s sorry and that if he could switch places for her, then he would. Getting an idea, Ginny goes to see Amelia. In the game, Duarte hits a homerun and flips his bat as he runs the bases.

Luongo finds Ginny running on the treadmill and tells her that they are going out for an evening to deal with their problems. In the locker room, reporters swarm Duarte and question him about the bat flip, but he ignores them. They approach Lawson who releases a statement defending him. Behind closed doors, Lawson criticizes Duarte and his attitude to Oscar. He responds by saying that Duarte had a rough childhood trying to escape from Cuba, but Lawson says that many of the players had rough childhoods. In a flashback, a young Lawson is taught how to play catcher by his new coach (Josh Randall). His coach has to leave and Lawson is left by himself.

Ginny and Luongo go out together and he shows her a view of San Francisco where he used to cool his head. He tells her that there’s a whole world outside baseball. Lawson sees Amelia and asks if they can be civil for Ginny’s sake, but Amelia asks him how far he’ll go to help the team. Lawson confronts Duarte for being late to practice. In a flashback, Lawson’s mother forces him to quit the team and take money from the coach for her.

Reporters swarm Duarte in the locker room and Lawson releases a statement that defends him but is also a subtle message to Duarte. Outside the locker room, Duarte confronts Lawson. Lawson tells him to listen to him if he wants to have a long career. Duarte tells him that he will be replacing him as catcher sooner rather than later. Amelia proposes a way to combat the leaked photos, but Oscar is hesitant about it.

In the game, Luongo goes through a series of relief pitchers that struggle. Left with no other options, he tells Ginny to start warming up. She comes out to the mound, and Luongo gives her a pep talk. In a flashback, Lawson’s mother demands that they move immediately. Lawson asks his coach if he can live with him, but is refused. In the present, Lawson tells Ginny that Duarte is her catcher now and Ginny talks over the pitch with Duarte. Ginny gets them out of the situation and wins the game for them with the help of Duarte and Lawson.

After the game, Lawson congratulates Duarte on the winning play. In a flashback, Lawson drives away with his mother, who wants his help. They drive by the coach and his mother admits that the coach is his father. In the present, a reporter asks Lawson to comment on the rumor that he will be put on waivers and be traded. Lawson avoids the question and he walks away with Blip. Ginny and the rest of the team do a nude photo shoot in order to counteract the nude photos. Media attention switches to the shoot and the leaked photos are forgotten.

The team arrives back to San Diego and Ginny invites Lawson to join her at Blip’s house. He refuses, saying that he’s going to turn in early. Oscar tells Duarte that he’s being benched and that it’s best that he learn from Lawson before he takes over the position full-time. Lawson goes to see his father, who is playing catch with his grandson, but drives away before talking to him.