Ben Francisco (H. Rumph Jr., Associated Press)
One of the most exciting parts of the Major League Baseball playoffs is finding out what unsung hero comes to the forefront.
Over the last twenty years players that have hit clutch pinch hit home runs in the postseason include Bobby Kielty of the Boston Red Sox, Canadian Matt Stairs of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jay Ed Sprague.
On Tuesday, Phillies’ outfielder Ben Francisco came into the game in the top of the seventh inning against the Saint Louis Cardinals with the game tied at zero. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel chose Francisco for the pinch hit at bat because he needed to replace starter Cole Hamels.
Hamels, despite not having given up a run, had a high pitch count of 117. With two runners already on base, Francisco took a 1-and-0 count from Cardinals’ starter Jaime Garcia and put the Phillies up 3-0 en route to a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in the National League Divisional Series. Game four is today at 4pm from St. Louis.
Tags: ben francisco, bobby kielty, boston red sox, charlie manuel, cole hamels, ed sprague, matt stairs, philadelphia phillies, st. louis cardinals, toronto blue jays
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