Phillies walk-off win was a first in more than 50 years

PHILADELPHIA – Statistical oddities are what make baseball a beautiful game. There’s always a chance something will happen for the first time in forever.

The Phillies won Monday’s 3-2 game in extras against the Red Sox on a walk-off catcher’s interference, the first one in Major League Baseball since Aug. 1, 1971.

It was Carlos Narvaez on Monday, trying to frame a pitch in an impossible situation. It was Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in 1971 at Dodger Stadium. Willie Crawford was at the plate for Los Angeles. It was Edmundo Sosa for Philadelphia.

The runner on third, Manny Mota, was trying to steal home plate for the win. Bench tagged Mota out at home, but home plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt awarded Crawford first base and Mota home on catcher’s interference. The previous batter, Dick Allen, grounded into a force out that got Mota over to third base. 

This time around, Red Sox pitcher Jordan Hicks was trying to find his way to the 11th. He threw four straight balls to the leadoff batter Otto Kemp, who squared up to bunt on all four pitches in an attempt to move the winning run at second to third. The next batter Max Kepler was nearly hit by Hicks’ first pitch while attempting to get down his first sacrifice bunt since 2017. Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave him a free pass to set up a force at any base.

In steps Sosa with the bases loaded. Hicks threw his first two pitches in the strike zone to get ahead 0-2, but Sosa took a close pitch for a ball and fouled off another. The fifth pitch of the at-bat was way outside, but Sosa checked his swing and made contact with Narvaez’s glove. Home plate umpire Quinn Walcott didn’t make the initial call, but Sosa knew it right away. 

“I told the ump I think I felt something,” Sosa said via a team interpreter. 

Manager Rob Thomson didn’t have to go to the phone to make the challenge. 

“There’s two things this year that I’ve never seen before in 40 years: One is a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off catcher’s interference,” Thomson said. 

Thomson agreed that the latter was more satisfying. 

“I think it was either J.T. (Realmuto) or Kyle (Schwarber). They started screaming, ‘Get to the phone. Catcher’s interference!’” Max Lazar said. “And I’m like ‘What?’ I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know you could review that either.” 

It was a great way for Lazar to get his first win – and Sosa his first walk-off. Technically. 

“To be honest, this feels exactly like a home run,” Sosa said. “The most important thing about it is that we ended up winning the game.”

That’s how to win a game without putting a ball in play.

“Water in my face,” Sosa said in English with a big smile.