Phillies pitcher makes franchise history with unique five-inning save
As the Phillies found themselves in some pitching trouble as a rain delay washed away Mick Abel’s opportunity to start at Truist Park, Alan Rangel stepped up to take on some serious bulk in Philadelphia’s blowout win. Making only the second appearance of his major-league career, the right-hander tossed five scoreless innings to finish out Friday’s game.
For his late-night efforts, Rangel was credited with a save for closing out the 13-0 victory over the Braves, helping the Phillies avoid churning through extra relievers in the process. He became just the fourth Phillies pitcher to record a five-inning save and the first since 1962, according to Stathead. However, the save statistic did not become official until 1969, meaning Rangel was the first pitcher in franchise history to record a five-inning save and be awarded with the decision at the time it actually happened.
No pitcher in Phillies franchise history has recorded a save longer than five innings.
Rangel, 27, had been in the starting rotation at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, but Philadelphia called him back up for his second stint in the big leagues of the year on June 22. Manager Rob Thomson said the club needed some “length” in the bullpen when the move was made, and Rangel was stretched out. He put that to use on Friday night when he worked around six hits and a walk to strike out four across five shutout frames.
For the Phillies, Rangel provided the second save of the season of at least three innings; Taijuan Walker threw three scoreless innings to end a 7-0 win over the Rays in May. Additionally, Ricardo Pinto secured a four-inning save on a wild day last year.
Rangel will likely be unavailable for a few days after throwing 71 pitches against the Braves. The Phillies have been trying different arms in that final bullpen spot, so they could choose to add another pitcher in the righty’s place and send him back down to the minors. Either way, Rangel served his teammates well on Friday as he grabbed a milestone with his first save.