An outfielder pitched to Bryce Harper and lived to talk about it

When a position player pitches, it’s one of the cooler things you can see in a baseball game. They’re not usually expected to do well but, when they do, it’s a delightful surprise. And when a position player can retire a batter like reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper, that might be cause for a parade. Outfielder J.B. Shuck had that very opportunity Wednesday, and he made the very most of it.

Usually you see a position player pitching in a blowout, and that’s what the Chicago White Sox were facing on Wednesday night. They were losing very, very hard to the Washington Nationals. With the score 10-0 in the top of the ninth, and the bullpen taxed (six relievers had pitched in the game), manager Robin Ventura decided to send J.B. Shuck to the mound.

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Shuck had never pitched in the majors before (though he had pitched on inning in Triple-A), and he had some work ahead of him. First he faced shortstop Danny Espinosa, who got his third hit of the game when he doubled off Shuck. Not the best beginning, but Shuck rebounded against center fielder Ben Revere, who grounded out (but moved Espinosa over to third base).

Bearded mountain man Jayson Werth came to bat next, and Shuck actually managed to get a called strike against him. Werth went 0-2 before he grounded out, but Espinosa scored on a fielder’s choice. There were two outs, but there was one batter between Shuck and the end of the inning: Bryce Harper. Harper’s hitting has hit the skids lately, but he’s the 2015 NL MVP and he’s a fearsome presence at the plate.

Shuck kept it together, though. He threw two balls and a called strike to Harper, and then Shuck let go of 91 mph fastball. That’s the pitch that got Harper. He grounded to first base, and the inning was over. Shuck gave up just one hit and one run, which isn’t bad for an outfielder.

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The White Sox tried to mount a comeback, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but they fell short and lost 11-4. Regardless of the outcome, J.B. Shuck gets to tell the story of how he retired Bryce Harper forever, and the White Sox losing doesn’t have to be part of it.

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