PHILADELPHIA — Jhoan Duran held his pink glove to his left ear.
He strained to listen to the decision from Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto within the ninth inning on Sunday evening. It was loud at Residents Financial institution Park. The Phils had a two-run lead with two outs. That they had Riley Greene 2-2.
It could possibly be the ultimate pitch of the evening.
Duran thought he heard “changeup” in his PitchCom receiver. He shook his head.
Realmuto switched to a fastball. Duran fired a 102.5 mph heater on the prime of the zone. Greene swung and missed to finish the sport, giving the Phillies a 2-0 victory to win the sequence in opposition to the AL’s finest workforce and transfer into first place within the NL East with a half-game lead over the Mets.
“Hey, what did you name that final pitch?” Duran requested Realmuto on the sphere.
“Curveball,” Realmuto stated.
“Oh, I heard ‘changeup’ on the PitchCom,” Duran stated.
“I hadn’t known as any curveballs, so I needed to see one,” Realmuto stated. “It’s actually loud on the market. I feel that’s why he didn’t hear it completely. However he thought he heard changeup, in order that’s why he shook it.”
Duran threw 4 of the 5 quickest pitches by a Phillies pitcher within the pitch-tracking period (since 2008) on Sunday:
“It feels regular for me,” Duran stated. “I don’t give it some thought an excessive amount of. I don’t take into consideration how briskly I’m throwing. It’s extra like if I can management the fastball.”
Duran completed an ideal pitching evening for the Phillies in a recreation that lasted 2 hours, 5 minutes. Cristopher Sánchez tossed eight scoreless innings, permitting 5 hits and one stroll and placing out six.
He improved to 10-3 with a 2.40 ERA. He’s third within the NL with 3.8 WAR, based on FanGraphs.
Sánchez threw solely 84 pitches, so he might have pitched the ninth. Per week in the past, Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson may need been tempted to attempt it. However Sánchez threw a whole recreation two begins in the past, and Thomson is cognizant of his pitchers’ well being as October approaches.
However he additionally has Duran to pitch the ninth.
“That’s why we’ve bought Duran,” Thomson stated.
Sánchez dominated the Tigers. Even when he bought in hassle, he appeared to be in management.
He allowed back-to-back singles to begin the seventh. Greene grounded a sinker to second base — dealt with by Trea Turner — to place runners on second and third. The Phillies performed the infield in. Andy Ibáñez grounded a slider to 3rd baseman Edmundo Sosa, who threw over Jahmai Jones’ proper shoulder to Realmuto for the second out.
“It was robust simply because the runner did a very good job of getting up the road and blocking my view,” Realmuto stated. “Sosa made an ideal throw as a result of usually, he would need to throw that on the within, however the place the runner was, he couldn’t make a throw inside the road. So he threw to the opposite aspect, which briefly I bought blocked out of the ball. However he put it within the excellent spot for me to make a play.”
Sánchez walked Dillon Dingler on 5 pitches, though a pair pitches might’ve been strikes.
No drawback. Wenceel Pérez grounded a changeup to Turner, who threw to second to finish the inning.
Sánchez, standing on the mound, turned to Turner and clapped politely.
It was simply one other huge second in one other huge day for Sánchez, whose continued success is pushing him an increasing number of into NL Cy Younger consideration.
“It’s simply lovely,” Sánchez stated through the workforce’s interpreter, requested about pitching effectively in a nationally televised recreation. “It’s one thing particular.”
Kyle Schwarber crushed a solo homer within the eighth onto Ashburn Alley, simply left of the batter’s eye, to choose up an insurance coverage run. It arrange Duran’s extremely anticipated entrance within the ninth.
Duran earned a four-pitch save in opposition to Detroit on Friday. He threw solely splinkers (categorized as splitters).
He threw 12 pitches on Sunday: 10 fastballs and two splinkers.
It was enjoyable. However subsequent time, it may be completely different.
“I’m going to attempt to see a curveball finally, however his fastball is simply so good,” Realmuto stated.
