Thursday, May 26, 2011
Posted: 1:37 p.m.By Jim SalisburyCSNPhilly.com
The Phillies' bullpen was a pretty lonely place Wednesday night. The teams last reliever, Danys Baez, entered the game in the 14th inning. For the next five innings of the 19-inning classic, there was no one to warm up. Bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer could have turned out the lights and headed to the dugout. Instead, he and bullpen catcher Jesus Tiamo hung out and watched the drama from 420 feet away.
Billmeyer is from Maryland.
Tiamo is from Venezuela. He speaks little English.
We talked for six innings and neither one of us knows what we said, Billmeyer said with a laugh after returning to the ballpark for Thursday afternoons series finale against the Cincinnati Reds.
Billmeyer continued to laugh as he told of how a fan leaned over the railing in the 17th inning and offered some advice.
The guy said, Hey, get somebody up! So I stood up, Billmeyer said.
MLB
Ultimately, the Phillies won the game, 5-4, thanks to five gutsy innings from Baez, a sacrifice fly from Raul Ibanez and, of course the work of infielder Wilson Vadlez, who was pressed into pitching duty and delivered a scoreless inning in the top of the 19th.
A fan at Thursdays game showed some love for the likable, 33-year-old Dominican.
Valdez is the Clozer, read the fans sign.
Valdez has a whip-like arm. As he took the mound out of desperation, team officials in the executive box above home plate turned to each other and said, Now, we get to see how hard he throws. Valdez hit 89 mph on the teams radar gun.
Valdez, who hadnt pitched since he was a teenager playing sandlot ball in the Dominican Republic, loved the experience of getting on the mound for the first time as a pro. He had started the game at second base and became the first since Babe Ruth in 1921 to get the pitching victory after starting the game as a position player.
It was one of my most fun games ever, Valdez said.
Valdez kept the ball from his pitching victory. He was asked Thursday if the Hall of Fame had called for it.
Theyre still sleeping, he said.
After the game, Valdez didnt spend too much time reflecting on his moment in the spotlight. He packed his suitcase for the coming road trip and went to bed after 4 a.m. He was back in the lineup, at third base, Thursday afternoon.
Valdez was not surprised that he got the call to the mound when the Phils were out of pitchers Wednesday night. Around the 16th inning, pitching coach Rich Dubee asked him if he could pitch if the game went a whole lot longer. Baez was pretty much cooked after three innings, but volunteered to keep going for the good of the team.
While Valdez was not surprised to get the call to the mound, his family was. His wife was sleeping at home in New Mexico when her mother phoned and said, Wilson is pitching! Kamie Valdez sprung from bed and turned on the TV.
The skinny infielder retired a couple of pretty formidable hitters in Jay Bruce and Joey Votto in getting the win. Votto led off the frame with a long fly ball to center. It came on an inside fastballthe pitch Valdez wanted to throw. He had gone away in the three previous pitches and shook off catcher Dane Sardinha, who had replaced Carlos Ruiz after 18 innings. Sardinha was leery of going inside on the reigning National League MVP. Valdez was into living on the edge.
I threw three away, Valdez said. I didnt want to go away four times.
Sardinha held his breath as Valdez won the pitch battle and went inside on Votto.
I was just hoping if he hit it he hit it at someone, Sardinha said. I think it might have been out of Cincinnati's park.
After the third out, Valdez walked off the mound with a smile and a spring in his step. It was like hed done it beforeeven though he hadnt.
He looked a little too poised out there, Sardinha said. Almost cocky. Thats him, though. Hes got a little flash to his game.
And a W on his career ledger, as well.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.
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