Philadelphia – The Philadelphia Phillies celebrated a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, with Edmund Sosa at the center of the excitement, even if it came after a rather unconventional play.
Interestingly, Sosa acknowledged that his success was partly due to the catcher’s involvement.
“Honestly, it feels like a home run,” Sosa conveyed through a translator. “What matters is that we won, and that’s always our goal.”
The win came in the 10th inning when Sosa, with the bases loaded, made a check swing that made contact with catcher Carlos Narvez’s glove. A review confirmed the interference, allowing Sosa to bring home autorunner Brandon Marsh for the final run.
“I felt like my swing was a bit late,” Sosa explained. “As I swung, I sensed I made contact with the catcher’s glove, so I let the umpire know.”
This incident marks the first time there has been a walk-off catcher interference in Major League history. The last similar call occurred back in 1971 when the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Cincinnati Reds.
On the night, Narvez’s error represented his sixth of the season. He also recorded his fifth passed ball within just four innings, contributing to a run scored by Nick Castellanos, who had previously driven in the Phillies’ initial run.
“I didn’t think I was that close to him,” Narvez remarked. “Everything happens so quickly. It’s tough in that moment. It cost us the game, and I need to own that. I have to improve; it shouldn’t happen again.”
The game marked the Phillies’ third walk-off win this season, the first being against Washington on April 29, and another against the Chicago Cubs on June 6.
Contrarily, the Phillies faced defeat on July 8 in San Francisco when Patrick Bailey hit a three-run walk-off home run.
“There are two things I haven’t seen in 40 years,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “One is an internal home run at this park, and the other is a walk-off catcher interference.”
Interestingly, the Phillies clinched this victory without a pitch being thrown at the start of the 10th. Marsh opened the inning with two bases, and Otto Kemp was walked by Boston’s reliever Jordan Hicks right after attempting to bunt.
The very first pitch to Max Kepler turned into a wild pitch, moving runners to second and third. The Red Sox intentionally walked Kepler, setting the stage for Sosa, who fell behind 0-2 but managed to foul off before ultimately making contact with Narvez’s glove on an 86 mph slider that sealed the game.
“That’s unusual,” remarked Phillies pitcher Zach Wheeler. “It’s rare for people to witness something like that in baseball. Just another unexpected moment, I guess.”
