News
Shortstop Wilson forced to take mound
Padres run out of pitchers in 18-inning affair with D-backs
By Amy Brittain / MLB.com
06/08/09 12:50 AM ET
SAN DIEGO -- Josh Wilson appeared calm and collected when he approached the mound for the Padres in the 18th inning Sunday at PETCO Park. Locked in a grueling extra-inning game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Padres had expired all of their available relievers and even gone with Friday's starter Chad Gaudin for two innings. With no other options remaining, manager Bud Black signaled for the shortstop and former high school pitcher to head to the mound. "We always look for emergency-type pitchers, and he was the guy," Black said. "He was the logical choice." With two outs and two runners on base, Wilson had Reynolds down 0-2 in the count. Reynolds then knocked a game-winning three-run homer to right field to give the D-backs a 9-6 advantage they would not relinquish. "[Wilson] knew he had to throw a strike, and so did [Reynolds]," said Padres pitcher Heath Bell. "It's one of those things. ... if you're a pitcher, you'd probably flip a breaking ball in there. And I told him that, because the situation might arise again. He pitched really good." The Padres acquired Wilson on May 15 off waivers from the Diamondbacks, for whom he pitched one inning May 11 against the Cincinnati Reds. Wilson also pitched one inning for Tampa Bay in the 2007 season. Before Sunday's game, Wilson had never pitched in a close game. "We saw him pitch for the Diamondbacks. He has good delivery, and he has a very strong arm," Black said. "When you throw a position player, it's usually a game that's lopsided one way or the other. This was a rare case where we had to use him in the 18th inning." Wilson said he went to the mound Sunday with only one reliable pitch in his arsenal: the four-seam fastball. "Having been out there a few times before definitely helped," Wilson said. "I was confident I could go out there and throw strikes, and that's definitely what I tried to do." Wilson said nerves weren't an issue during his one inning of work. "I was ready for it. ... I knew it was probably a matter of time if the game kept going on," he said. "All of the bullpen guys were used up, and Chad was out there as a starter getting some extra innings in. "These guys had seen me pitch before, and I think they had all of the confidence in the world for me to go out there and get three outs. I fully expected to do the same." Bell had a few encouraging words for Wilson after the game. "It's just one of those times that we ran out of pitching," Bell said. "Really, there was nobody else to pitch. I think he feels kind of bad right now, but that's the life of a pitcher. You've got to bounce back tomorrow." So now that Wilson has a feel for high-pressure pitching, would he want to take to the mound in a future game? "No, I really don't want to have to pitch again," Wilson said. "But I'd love to be able to get back out there in that situation and have an opportunity to throw a strike or to try to get that out."Amy Brittain is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
