Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez inserted into left field, makes number of impressive plays
Things got weird in Philadelphia during the marathon game between the Phillies and the Chicago White Sox.
As the action spilled from Friday night into Saturday morning local time, the Phillies turned to outfielder Roman Quinn on the mound in the top of the 14th inning. Quinn got help getting out of the frame without giving up a run thanks to the most unlikely of sources: the pitcher who was playing left field.
Confused? We are too, but here's what happened:
Vince Velasquez was inserted into the game in the bottom of the 13th inning as a pinch runner for fellow pitcher Zach Eflin, normally a starter who was called on for two innings of relief. When the 14th inning arrived, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler moved Velasquez to left and sent position player Quinn to the mound – presumably to save arms.
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With one out in the 14th, Velasquez got to show off his arm from long-distance as he threw out Jose Abreu at home.
Quinn then got White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer to ground out – hey, we said it was a weird game – to end the 14th.
Incredibly, Velasquez nearly threw out a runner at home in the 15th inning on a near-identical play with Quinn still pitching, but Leury Garcia just beat the throw.
For good measure, Velasquez made a nice diving catch to end the 15th.
“I was ready,” Velasquez said of playing the field. “I love playing this game. I’ll throw left-handed if I have to.”
Said Kapler of his pitcher: “He’s a freakish athlete.”
Garcia's score stood up as the winner, and while the 15-inning loss was bitter for a Phillies team battling for a playoff spot, fans with no rooting interest were thoroughly entertained by what happened late Friday night.
At the very least, no one can blame Quinn or Velasquez.
Contributing: Associated Press