Phillies Secure 3-2 Walk-Off Win with Unusual Catcher’s Interference Call

PHILADELPHIA — Edmundo Sosa’s teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies celebrated wildly after a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. The dramatic finish came in the 10th inning, thanks to a rare catcher’s interference call against Boston’s Carlos Narvaez.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Sosa’s check swing on a 2-2 pitch struck Narvaez’s glove. After the Phillies’ dugout called for a review, officials confirmed the contact, allowing Sosa to take first base and automatic runner Brandon Marsh to score the winning run.

“To be honest, this feels exactly like a home run,” Sosa said through a translator. “The most important thing about it is that we end up winning the game, and that’s what we went out to do.”

This marked the first instance of a walk-off catcher’s interference in Major League Baseball since August 1, 1971, when the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed with a similar call against Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench.

The play was officially recorded as an error for Narvaez, his sixth of the season, and he also had a passed ball earlier in the game that allowed Nick Castellanos to reach scoring position. Castellanos later scored on J.T. Realmuto’s single.

“I don’t feel I was that close to the hitter,” Narvaez said. “Everything went so quick. Really tough for that to happen in that moment to cost us the game. I take accountability. I’ve got to be better. That cannot happen.”

This victory marked the Phillies’ third walk-off win of the season. Earlier, they won against Washington on April 29 with a wild pitch, and they defeated the Chicago Cubs in June with a single from Brandon Marsh.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson noted the uniqueness of the situation, saying, “There are two things this year that I’ve never seen before in 40 years: a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off catcher’s interference.”

Remarkably, the Phillies won the game without putting a ball in play during the 10th inning. Marsh started the inning at second base, and Otto Kemp walked before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. The Red Sox then intentionally walked Max Kepler, leading to Sosa’s decisive swing.

“It’s strange,” said Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. “People always say, I’ve never seen that before on a baseball field. It’s just another one. I’m wondering how many more times you can say that.”