A walk-off catcher's interference may be rare for MLB, but Phillies rookie Otto Kemp has been here before
Walking off on a catcher's interference is one of those feats in MLB that is as scarce as can be. Since 1920, only one team had walked off on a catcher's interference to end a game prior to the Phillies' 3-2 victory over the Red Sox Monday night.
That occurred on Aug. 1, 1971, when Willie Crawford reached first base on a catcher's interference by Johnny Bench. The Dodgers won 5-4 over the Reds as Manny Mota crossed the plate for the winning run. Before the Phillies' win Monday night, a walk-off catcher's interference in the majors was as rare as scoring 30 runs in a game (that's only happened once, too).
The feat of walking off and winning a game on catcher's interference wasn't as rare for Otto Kemp. What Edmundo Sosa went through Monday night when he was at the plate just 10 months ago.
Kemp was at bat for Double-A Reading that night as the Fightin' Phils were mounting a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning. In a 5-5 game, Kemp stood up to the plate against Erie Seawolves pitcher Joel Peguero.
What transpired was one of the strangest moments of Kemp's baseball life.
"I was gonna guess I was in a two-strike count," Kemp said with a laugh when reliving the moment. "I can almost tell you how it went over without even remembering it."
Reminiscing about the at bat, Kemp remembered the first pitch was a ball followed by two quick strikes. With one out in a tie game, all Kemp could think about was how to stay alive.
"Nowadays with two strikes, I feel like everyone tries to get you to chase out of the zone," Kemp said. "You're really just trying to see the ball as long as you can without putting the ball in play."
Kemp fouled off the next pitch on a 1-2 count, then took a ball inside. The count was 2-2 when the bizarre happened.
The pitch was on the low inside corner of the zone and would have been strike three if Kemp didn't swing. Kemp took a hack, and the ball went foul into the dugout.
"You're just trying to see it deep, so when you do, you're like almost taking it out of the catcher's glove," Kemp said of the play. "It's like a late reaction. I think I had one of those, and it ended up hitting his bat. I was like 'Wait, that might do it.'"
Kemp immediately looked at home-plate umpire Nelson Fraley. He didn't point like Sosa did Monday night, but had a feeling the game was over.
"I think everyone (in the Fightin' Phils dugout) heard it and they saw it," Kemp said. "Because it was a little bit more than like that small touch of the glove. I do remember that."
Kemp slowly walked to first base as Fraley ruled catchers' interference and awarded Miller home. He put on a smile and celebrated with his team as the lights began to flash. No one on the Fightin' Phils knew how to react.
"It was an awkward like pause. We were like 'wait, did that just happen?' Then we were like 'Oh, that did just happen!" Kemp said. "The rest is history."
When Kemp went to first base, he received the usual celebration for winning a game — even though winning on a catcher's interference call is as rare as can be. As Kemp remembered the play being presented to him, he didn't realize how that play was scored in the final box score.
Kemp had an RBI in the eighth inning off a sacrifice fly, which he believed was his only RBI on the night. He thought the catcher's interference was an error.
"If I had two RBI, then it must have counted, right?" a smiling Kemp said.
The more awkward moment of that game for Kemp? He's used to playing multiple positions on the diamond, which wasn't the case in this September win.
"DH that night," Kemp said, when looking at the box score. "That's rare."
Phillies place Joe Ross on 15-day injured list
Before the Phillies' game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, the club placed reliever Joe Ross on the 15-day injured list retroactive to July 21 and recalled Alan Rangel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
