The Phillies needed a stopgap, and Jose Urquidy gave them exactly that.
With Jesus Luzardo sidelined by stiffness in his left throwing shoulder, Philadelphia’s rotation suddenly had a hole to patch. The club had already been forced into a bullpen game last weekend against the Atlanta Braves after Luzardo was scratched, and the plan went sideways when Brooks Raley took the loss after Tim Mayza opened with three shutout innings.
So the Phillies went outside the organization and claimed Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox just a few days after he was designated for assignment. To make room, they optioned left-handed pitcher Kyle Backhus to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Barely a day later, Urquidy was on the mound for Philadelphia, and the timing could not have been much tougher. Luzardo’s spot came up Friday night against the Mets, and another bullpen game was waiting on Saturday with Andrew Painter set to start.
Mayza was the first man up, but his outing unraveled fast. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while recording just one out, forcing Urquidy into the game far earlier than anyone expected. The sudden entrance didn’t shake him.
Urquidy handled the mess and settled things down. He got through the first inning without adding to the damage and then kept the Mets in check over the next four frames, giving the Phillies a real chance to stay in it.
He finished with 4.2 innings, five hits allowed and six strikeouts. That was enough to keep Philadelphia within reach, even if the club eventually fell 6-3.
The bigger payoff for the Phillies was what Urquidy’s work meant for the rest of the bullpen. Once he exited, only Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks followed him to the mound, leaving the relief corps in far better shape for Saturday.
That matters because Mattingly still has his top options available, including Alex McFarlane, Jonathan Bowlan, Jose Alvarado, Raley and Jhoan Duran.
For a pitcher joining a new team in the middle of a playoff race, Urquidy made the transition look smooth. He stepped into a difficult spot and delivered the kind of innings Philadelphia badly needed.
He will likely get at least one more turn with the Phillies when Luzardo’s spot comes up again. Urquidy is not eligible for the playoffs, but for now, the Phillies will take every inning he can give them as they try to get to the finish line.
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