PHILADELPHIA – Vince Velasquez did everything he could playing in the field for the first time since he was a kid and it still wasn't enough.
The Chicago White Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in 15 innings Friday night when Jose Abreu hit a two-out RBI single off outfielder Roman Quinn, who was pitching his second inning.
Velasquez, a starting pitcher playing left field, threw out Abreu as the potential go-ahead run in the 14th with Quinn on the mound. He nearly did it again in the 15th, but Leury Garcia barely beat the throw. Velasquez then made a diving catch to end the inning.
"I was ready," Velasquez said. "I love playing this game. I'll throw lefthanded if I have to."
The righthanded Velasquez once played a season in high school as a lefthanded outfielder because of bone spurs in his pitching elbow.
"He's a freakish athlete," manager Gabe Kapler said.
The Phillies were forced to use Quinn because they ran out of relievers. Their bullpen had six able relievers to use behind newly acquired starter Jason Vargas, who lasted 6⅓ innings.
Mike Morin was the first reliever, recording two outs on only four pitches. Fellow ex-Twins reliever Blake Parker was perfect in the 10th and 11 innings, striking out four.
