Devotees of Philadelphia’s favorite pastime are experiencing something unprecedented.
Since his acquisition from the Minnesota Twins, Jhoan Durán made his second appearance pitching for the Phillies on Sunday evening. He successfully completed his second save in those two games. And the 2-0 shutout against the Detroit Tigers was punctuated with the fastest pitch ever recorded at Citizen’s Bank Park.
Durán unleashed a 103.3 mph fastball on a 2-2 count, which All-Star Riley Greene met with a foul, setting a new benchmark for the stadium. Immediately following that, he threw a 102.5 mph fastball that resulted in Greene’s strikeout, marking the fastest game-ending strikeout by a Phillies pitcher during the pitch tracking era that began in 2008.
And Sunday night’s performance saw Durán establish even more new records.
Durán delivered five pitches in the ninth inning’s top, each clocking in at 102.4 mph or greater. Every one of them exceeded the velocity of any previous pitch thrown by a Phillies pitcher throughout the ballpark’s 22-year history.
The save culminated a remarkable weekend for the Phillies after their procurement of Durán, viewed as the premier closer available on the trade market. They concluded the weekend with a slender lead over the New York Mets in the NL East standings, a consequence of winning two of three games against the Tigers, who were also leading their division. Durán secured the final outs in both of those victories.
Durán lights up park with electric entrance
For the second instance in a span of three evenings, Phillies supporters were treated to the exhilarating entrance ritual that accompanied Durán from Minnesota, highlighted by imposing bell sounds, pyrotechnic displays, and a disconcerting digital spider, referencing his alias, the Durantula.
On Friday, Durán ensured a 5-4 triumph with a flawless 1-2-3 performance in the ninth inning.
On Sunday, he stepped onto the field presiding over a shutout, following eight exceptional innings pitched by Cristopher Sánchez. He fulfilled expectations for both Sánchez and the Phillies fanbase.
Durán commenced the inning by inducing a six-pitch groundout from pinch hitter Kerry Carpenter. He then prompted another groundout with his initial pitch to Spencer Torkelson.
Subsequently, he hurled five consecutive fastballs at speeds exceeding 101 mph toward Greene, before his 102.5 mph rocket concluded the game. It exemplified the type of impact the Phillies anticipated when they brought Durán onboard. Additionally, it brought his season-long ERA down to an impressive 1.93.
In the environment of baseball’s postseason, where the margins are exceedingly thin, a reliable closer can prove pivotal in determining advancement. The Phillies are hopeful that Durán will prove to be a transformative asset during the moments when the stakes reach their pinnacle.
