Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson could only watch as Jesus Luzardo allowed the Detroit Tigers to score six runs on three consecutive pitches at Spring Training on Wednesday afternoon. He did not have much to say during a live interview on ESPN. In fact, he did not say anything at all.
The timing of what seems to be MLB history was impeccable.
Luzardo, 27, signed with the Phillies during the offseason to bolster one of the best pitching rotations in Major League Baseball. The former Miami Marlins ace will hope to rebound from a down year plagued by injury on a new team in 2025. His second start of the preseason did not go well.
Luzardo got out of the first inning without issue after he allowed a leadoff double. It all fell apart in the second.
- Javier Baez, strikeout
- One out
- No one on base
- Kerry Carpenter, single
- One out
- One on
- Justyn-Henry Mallow, walk
- One out
- Two on
- Colt Keith, fly out
- Two outs
- Two on
- Jake Rogers, single
Jahmai Jones stepped into the box with the bases loaded and two outs. He quickly got ahead with a 2-1 count. The third pitch of the at-bat went 430 feet for a no-doubter grand slam. Detroit took a 4-0 lead.
Andy Ibanez homered to left center on the very next pitch. 5-0.
Gleyber Torres did the same. 6-0.
Jesus Luzardo allowed six runs on three-straight home runs on three-straight pitches. Although I cannot say with 100% certainty, I do not think that has ever happened before in MLB history. I was unable to find another example where a team scored six runs on three consecutive pitches. It seems to be a first!
To make the entire sequence of events even more entertaining, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson was live on ESPN throughout the second inning. He had just finished answering a question from Karl Ravech when Luzardo gave up the grand slam. All he said was “looked like a change-up.”
Ibanez went yard on the very next pitch and Thomson said nothing. The awkward silence continued when Torres made it three-for-three. Not a word!
Spring Training is largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of Major League Baseball. A 17-7 loss is not that big of a deal for the Phillies but nobody wants to be on the wrong side of (what I believe to be) history. Especially if you’re in the middle of an interview with ESPN like Thomson… It was incredible television!