With a position player pitching, a pitcher threw a runner out at the plate from the outfield
When the clock strikes midnight, we enter weird baseball. A game going that late -- unless there had been a rain delay -- is usually deep in extra innings and everyone is more than a little tired. Those are perfect conditions for crazy things to happen.
The craziness got started a bit before midnight in Friday's game between the Phillies and White Sox. In the bottom of the 13th inning, the Phillies pinch-ran for their pitcher Zach Eflin with ... another pitcher in Vince Velasquez.
They left Velasquez in the following inning, but instead of letting him pitch, manager Gabe Kapler sent him out to left field and brought outfielder Roman Quinn in to take the mound. On the surface, that may not seem like the optimal assignment of roles.
Clearly, you're not thinking far enough ahead because it turned out left field was the perfect spot to put the guy with the good arm.
Vince Velasquez is a pitcher.
— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2019
He is playing left field.
He just threw a runner out at the plate.
Awesome. pic.twitter.com/bDSsrfVZBq
According to Statcast, that throw came in at 94.7 mph. That's why it's probably not a good idea to test the arm of the left fielder, especially when his day job is throwing the ball really hard.
Velazquez was out there again the next inning and, after just missing on another play at the plate, he ended the inning with a Gold Glove-worthy catch.
.@vjvelasquezrhp is the best left fielder in baseball. pic.twitter.com/O2EzzvG8Y7
— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2019
We spend a lot of time talking about position players pitching, but the Phillies discovered that pairing it with a pitcher fielding is a match made in heaven.
Let's get weird!
When this Phillies/White Sox game started, this kid was 12. pic.twitter.com/Vc3bqhgYEw
— Cut4 (@Cut4) August 3, 2019
Eric Chesterton is a writer for MLB.com. He is an appreciator of the stolen base, the bunt against the shift and nearly every unconventional uniform design. He eagerly awaits Jamie Moyer's inevitable comeback.
