For those who don't live and die with the Phillies like me, (pretty much everyone except Dawgbones), there are some cool things that happened in the game last night that I must forever preserve in this here blog.
Source: Phillies.com
...The starting catcher wound up playing third base and nearly made a spectacular catch while crashing over the tarp in foul ground almost six hours after the game started.
The starting second baseman wound up pitching a scoreless inning with his fastball reaching 90 miles per hour.
Carlos Ruiz caught the first 18 innings and Wilson Valdez picked up his first career win on the mound as the Phillies outlasted the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4, in an historic 19-inning game on Wednesday before a sellout crowd of 45,706 at Citizens Bank Park.
At the conclusion of the six-hour, 11-minute marathon -- the longest game in the Major Leagues this season -- less than 10,000 fans remained. Boy were they treated to a fascinating game. The game concluded at 1:19 a.m. ET.
There were 16 total pitchers used, nine by the Phillies.
Roy Halladay started and went seven innings, giving up 11 hits and three earned runs. Michael Stutes pitched a scoreless inning, and so did Ryan Madson.
Antonio Bastardo pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up a solo homer to Jay Bruce in the top of the 10th before Howard responded with his blast in the bottom of the frame.
Kyle Kendrick got two outs, and J.C. Romero labored in his one-third of an inning by walking three.
But David Herndon and Danys Baez combined to throw 7 1/3 innings while allowing just one hit.
Baez was especially fantastic in his five innings, a career high for him out of the bullpen. He threw 73 pitches, struck out three and walked one.
The last time Baez threw five or more innings in a game came as a starter on Aug. 24, 2002, when he went seven innings...
Then came the crazy 19th inning, when Ruiz went to third, Placido Polanco to second, Dane Sardinha to catcher and Valdez to the mound.
The last player to start a game in the field and earn a win was Babe Ruth on Oct. 1, 1921, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Ruth started in left field for the Yankees in that game.
"I like to win," Valdez said. "That's the only thing that matters to me. I don't like to lose."
"It is what it is at that point," Bruce said of losing to Valdez. "Obviously, you'd like to get something going against him, but we didn't. That stuff happens. He actually had OK stuff."
A total of five players had at least eight at-bats, with Drew Stubbs going 2-for-9 for the Reds. Rollins was 2-for-8, while Polanco and Ibanez were 1-for-8.
Did I stay up to watch it? Hell yes, I did. If it was your team, you would have too, right?
The Phillies won in the bottom of the 19th inning on a Raul Ibanez sacrifice fly. I was only slightly late to the office this morning.
Adding insult to injury for both teams, they meet up again today for a one o'clock day game!
How about some baseball cards?
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I lost a bet with Derek where we wagered packs of cards for wins by our respective teams, my consolation prize was a pack of Heritage. I sent him two packs of Gypsy Queen.
Now comes the part where I tie in these cards with the game last night.
There's Joey Votto, reigning NL MVP! Back up second baseman/infielder Wilson Valdez got him to fly out last night in the top of the 19th.
Video of everything here.
Now please excuse me as I take a nap here at my desk.
Lee has at least 3 RBIs in today's game!!! 9-4, bottom of the 7th.
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