Position players learn pitching isn’t easy
Saving bullpen arms can be a wise move during a blowout, but the results can be ugly
Thanks to several blowouts in baseball this week, a whopping six position players were summoned to the mound to save their bullpens during garbage time. Here’s a look at how those hitters fared when asked to pitch in mop-up duty:
Jeff Francoeur
The Phillies outfielder threw 48 pitches over the final two innings of a 19-3 loss to Baltimore Tuesday night. He retired the side in the seventh, the first 1-2-3 inning for Philadelphia. In the eighth, though, he gave up a homer to Ryan Flaherty, walked three, hit a batter with a pitch and allowed two runs.
An embarrassing night for the Phillies got worse when, in the eighth, pitching coach Bob McClure tried to call the bullpen to warm up a pitcher and the phone was off the hook. McClure had to wave a white towel from the dugout to get the attention of his relievers.
“I kind of got to experience everything that a pitcher probably experiences over a year in two innings,” Francoeur said.
Jake Elmore
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash turned to the utility man in the eighth inning of a 16-4 loss to Washington on Tuesday.
Elmore allowed a solo homer to Wilson Ramos among three Nationals hits.
Nick Franklin
The infielder followed Elmore to the mound in the ninth inning for the Rays.
Franklin also gave up three hits — including a two-run homer by Ramos.
“Cash asked me if I could throw strikes, and I told him I probably could,” Franklin said.
He didn’t walk a batter, but Franklin plunked Danny Espinosa with a pitch.
Alexi Amarista
The starting shortstop for San Diego, Amarista homered in the sixth inning of a 16-2 loss at Oakland on Wednesday and needed just two pitches to retire the only batter he faced in the eighth. By getting Billy Burns on a fly to right, Amarista distinguished himself as the most effective Padres pitcher of the night.
Ryan Raburn
Cleveland’s designated hitter for the first eight innings Wednesday night, Raburn got two outs in the ninth and reached 88 m.p.h. on the ballpark radar gun. He was charged with two unearned runs, one hit and one walk in a 17-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
David Murphy
Indians manager Terry Francona brought in a left-hander (his left fielder) to replace Raburn, who exchanged broad smiles with Murphy as the crowd roared its approval. Murphy was hurt by an error behind him and eventually got the final out of the inning. But first, he gave up two hits, a walk and five more unearned runs — including a grand slam by rookie slugger Kris Bryant.
“If you’re going to give them up, give them up big, right?” said Murphy, who topped out at 78 mph.