The Philadelphia Phillies managed a dramatic victory against the Boston Red Sox on Monday evening, finalized by a game-ending play unseen in Major League Baseball for over half a century.
The Phillies secured a 3-2 victory against the Red Sox in additional innings after Edmundo Sosa was awarded first base due to catcher’s interference with the bases full and no outs.
Sosa initiated a swing at a pitch outside the designated hitting zone during the 10th inning at Citizens Bank Park, but he paused his motion at the last moment. However, in doing so, he made apparent contact with catcher Carlos Narvaez’s catching glove.
Consequently, following a video review to confirm the contact, Brandon Marsh was permitted to score, securing the one-run victory for the Phillies. This situation triggered a vibrant celebration on the field.
“I thought my bat was a bit late getting around on the pitch,” Sosa stated through a translator, as reported by The Associated Press. “And as my swing progressed, I felt contact with the catcher’s mitt. I informed the umpire that I thought I felt something, and I began signaling toward the dugout.”
This event was only the second instance of a walk-off catcher’s interference since the divisional era of baseball began in 1969, and the first such event since 1971, as stated by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
“I don’t believe I was positioned very close to the batter,” Narvaez commented. “Everything happened extremely fast. It’s truly unfortunate that it occurred in that crucial moment and ended up costing us the game. I accept the responsibility. I need to perform better. That cannot be repeated.”
The Phillies scored two runs in the fourth inning on Monday evening, resulting from RBI singles from Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto. This gave them a marginal lead following a home run by Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran in the initial inning. Boston later evened the score in the sixth inning with an RBI single from Trevor Story.
The loss resulted in the Red Sox’s season record dropping to 54-48. They have suffered defeats in three of their most recent four games after experiencing a prior 10-game winning streak. The Phillies currently lead the NL East division with a record of 57-43.
Although the Phillies were in a favorable position to conclude the game in the 10th inning regardless — given that the bases were loaded — Sosa’s unorthodox method proved equally effective.
“Honestly, this feels just like hitting a home run,” Sosa remarked, as mentioned by The Associated Press. “The most crucial aspect is that we ultimately secured the victory, and that was our objective when we took the field.”
