Philadelphia Phillies utility infielder Wilson Valdez(notes) is 5'11", 170 lb. with five career home runs, 71 career RBIs, a .241 career batting average, and a career on base percentage less than .300. George Herman "Babe" Ruth was 6'2" and listed at a very generous 215 lbs. (add 40). He had 714 career home runs, 2,213 RBIs, a .342 career batting average and a gaudy .474 career OBP. They can now be mentioned in the same sentence.
Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Valdez became the first position player to start a game in the field and finish getting the win on the mound since Ruth did the same in 1921. Although I'm sure Valdez hopes his career ends with slightly better numbers to hang his hat on than he currently has totaled, at 33, he'd better hang on to that distinction. His performance in the 19th inning helped the Phillies outlast the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4, in a game that had so many storylines but will be remembered for Valdez's unselfish efforts.
— 16 pitchers were used in the contest. 600 total pitches left a hand from the top of the hill at the CBP.
— Jay Bruce(notes) is absolutely killing it in this series. He tied the game with a bases loaded, two out single in the 7th inning and gave Cincy a lead, 4-3, with a homer off lights out left-hander Antonio Bastardo(notes) in the 10th.
— For all those who continue to cry that Ryan Howard(notes) never gets big hits and strikes out too much, you wouldn't be talking about Wilson Valdez this morning if he didn't absolute molest a Francisco Cordero(notes)fastball halfway up the bullpen steps in dead center in the bottom of the 10th. You folks, by the way, should stop talking baseball immediately.
— The Reds clubhouse might have had reason to pop some champagne if Howard didn't tie the game in the bottom of the 10th. Cordero was trying for his 300th career save.
— This game also may not have gotten to 19 innings if Brandon Phillips(notes) wasn't such a bonehead in the 11th. With despicably poor Phillies lefty J.C. Romero(notes) throwing ball after ball all over the place, Phillips gets caught sleeping off second base and gets picked off—an error so egregious that Phillips tweeted an apology to Reds fans after the game.
— The defense on both sides of this game was exceptional in the extra innings. Pitchers on both sides made phenomenal plays on bunts and Phils pitcher David Herndon(notes) made perhaps a game saving play moving backwards on a high chop that only he had a chance to make a play on. Jimmy Rollins was stellar at shortstop for the Phils, making at least three high quality plays to keep runners off the bases for the Reds.
— Danys Baez(notes) days in Philly would be numbered if he wasn't making five million dollars plus. He certainly gave himself some rope to continue to hang himself with last night with an unbelievably unselfish five innings of brilliantly pitched baseball. It was his longest outing since 2002 according to Philly.com. He threw 73 pitches and lowered his season ERA to 3.33. Doesn't look so bad now, does it? Carlos Fisher was also brilliant in relief for the Reds, throwing 90-plus pitches until he simply ran out of gas in the bottom of the 19th.
— Carlos Ruiz(notes) played third base in the 19th and busted after a ball down the line, diving onto the tarp to attempt a catch. As he neared the tarp, no one in Philadelphia who knows baseball didn't have a lump in their throat. They can NOT afford to lose Ruiz.
— And then there was Valdez, quick in delivery, shooting three-quarter sidearm 88-m.p.h. darts at the middle of the Reds order. Reigning MVP Joey Votto(notes). Dismissed. Philly-killer and white hot Jay Bruce. Not so much. And then, as if Babe Ruth himself smiled down and threw Wilson a bone, Reds pitcher Carlos Fisher stepped into the box to make it a little easier for a third out to be recorded. The rest, as they say, is history.
Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Valdez became the first position player to start a game in the field and finish getting the win on the mound since Ruth did the same in 1921. Although I'm sure Valdez hopes his career ends with slightly better numbers to hang his hat on than he currently has totaled, at 33, he'd better hang on to that distinction. His performance in the 19th inning helped the Phillies outlast the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4, in a game that had so many storylines but will be remembered for Valdez's unselfish efforts.
With Roy Halladay(notes)on the mound with a 3-1 lead in the 7th, I'm sure most of the crowd at the once again sold out Citizens Bank Park in Philly thought they'd get home in time to tuck the kids in and settle into the evening news before turning in themselves. That was around 9:15 p.m. Little did they know (the thousands of die hards who stayed the distance anyway) that they wouldn't be heading to the exits until about 1:15 a.m. when Raul Ibanez(notes)took an embattledCarlos Fisher(notes)fastball to the warning track in center to scoreJimmy Rollins(notes) from third and put a ribbon on a game that took 6:11 to play.
In the interest of getting it all out there before the two teams (working on coffee and Snickers bars no doubt) get together again in just an hour (as of the writing of this report), lets take a look at some of the incredible highlights of this game in bullet form:— 16 pitchers were used in the contest. 600 total pitches left a hand from the top of the hill at the CBP.
— Jay Bruce(notes) is absolutely killing it in this series. He tied the game with a bases loaded, two out single in the 7th inning and gave Cincy a lead, 4-3, with a homer off lights out left-hander Antonio Bastardo(notes) in the 10th.
— For all those who continue to cry that Ryan Howard(notes) never gets big hits and strikes out too much, you wouldn't be talking about Wilson Valdez this morning if he didn't absolute molest a Francisco Cordero(notes)fastball halfway up the bullpen steps in dead center in the bottom of the 10th. You folks, by the way, should stop talking baseball immediately.
— The Reds clubhouse might have had reason to pop some champagne if Howard didn't tie the game in the bottom of the 10th. Cordero was trying for his 300th career save.
— This game also may not have gotten to 19 innings if Brandon Phillips(notes) wasn't such a bonehead in the 11th. With despicably poor Phillies lefty J.C. Romero(notes) throwing ball after ball all over the place, Phillips gets caught sleeping off second base and gets picked off—an error so egregious that Phillips tweeted an apology to Reds fans after the game.
— The defense on both sides of this game was exceptional in the extra innings. Pitchers on both sides made phenomenal plays on bunts and Phils pitcher David Herndon(notes) made perhaps a game saving play moving backwards on a high chop that only he had a chance to make a play on. Jimmy Rollins was stellar at shortstop for the Phils, making at least three high quality plays to keep runners off the bases for the Reds.
— Carlos Ruiz(notes) played third base in the 19th and busted after a ball down the line, diving onto the tarp to attempt a catch. As he neared the tarp, no one in Philadelphia who knows baseball didn't have a lump in their throat. They can NOT afford to lose Ruiz.
— And then there was Valdez, quick in delivery, shooting three-quarter sidearm 88-m.p.h. darts at the middle of the Reds order. Reigning MVP Joey Votto(notes). Dismissed. Philly-killer and white hot Jay Bruce. Not so much. And then, as if Babe Ruth himself smiled down and threw Wilson a bone, Reds pitcher Carlos Fisher stepped into the box to make it a little easier for a third out to be recorded. The rest, as they say, is history.