With the Braves getting blown out by the Yankees last night, outfielder Jonny Gomes got an opportunity to pitch the top of the ninth inning. As you might expect, it was pretty entertaining.
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The reaction to the Chris Young homer was classic. And as you might have noticed on the strikeout of Bryan Mitchell, he had shades of Luis Tiant in his delivery. Fantastic stuff.
Not only was it Gomes’ first pitching appearance in the majors, but he told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that it was his first pitching appearance at any level. Throwing mostly around 70 mph, he ended up giving up two runs on three hits. But he worked fast and didn’t walk a batter. Perhaps most importantly, he saved the bullpen and gave Braves fans something to smile about on an otherwise lousy evening.
By the way, this appearance was Craig Calcaterra-approved.
