When position players pitch for Erie SeaWolves, the results can be ugly or effective
The Erie SeaWolves played in front of their first crowd of more than 3,000 fans on Tuesday as they welcomed thousands of kids to UPMC Park.
The 'Wolves fell behind 5-3 after seven innings, but instead of staging a comeback for the crowd, Erie allowed seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to trail 13-3.
As a result of the struggling bullpen, Erie manager Gabe Alvarez turned to a position player to get the final out in the ninth inning instead of wasting an appearance by another pitcher. Catcher Jon Rosoff made his second career outing on the mound for the SeaWolves.
Sometimes, when position players pitch, the results can be ugly. For instance, when outfielder Luke Burch pitched against the Bowie Baysox in 2019 while Erie trailed 14-4 in the ninth inning, he gave up four runs, thanks to two errors by the SeaWolves.
Other times, to the delight of fans, position players can be effective at getting outs. Many of the SeaWolves' most recent pitching appearances by position players have resulted in effective but brief outings.
Here's a look at the past 10 pitching appearances by position players for the SeaWolves:
Date: Tuesday
Name: Jon Rosoff
Position: Catcher
Opponent: New Hampshire
Situation: 2 outs in the 9th inning, down 12-3
Result: RBI double down the right-field line, flyout to centerfield.
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Date: Sept. 4, 2021
Name: Jon Rosoff
Position: Catcher
Opponent: Harrisburg
Situation: 2 outs in the 9th inning, down 8-1
Result: Groundout to second.
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Date: May 25, 2019
Name: Luke Burch
Position: Outfield
Opponent: Bowie
Situation: Start of the 9th inning, down 14-4
Result: Allowed four runs on two hits and two SeaWolves errors.
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Date: May 25, 2019
Name: Chace Numata
Position: Catcher
Opponent: Bowie
Situation: 1 out in the 9th inning, down 18-4
Result: He allowed an RBI single but ended the inning by inducing a double play.
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Date: Aug. 14, 2018
Name: Will Maddox
Position: Second base
Opponent: Harrisburg
Situation: Start of the 9th inning, down 15-3
Result: He allowed a leadoff double but retired the side on a flyout and to line outs.
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Date: Sept. 1, 2017
Name: Zack Cox
Position: Designated hitter
Opponent: Akron
Situation: Start of the 8th inning, down 7-4
Result: He gave up a walk but retired the side on three groundouts.
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Date: Aug. 16, 2017
Name: Zack Cox
Position: Designated hitter
Opponent: Binghamton
Situation: Start of the 9th inning, down 14-2
Result: He retired the side without a run scoring while giving up only a single.
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Date: June 19, 2017
Name: Logan Watkins
Position: Second base
Opponent: Portland
Situation: Start of the 9th inning, down 12-6
Result: He allowed a single and a walk but pitched a scoreless inning.
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Date: July 21, 2015
Name: James Robbins
Position: First base
Opponent: Altoona
Situation: 1 out in the 6th inning of the first game of a doubleheader, down 18-7
Result: He gave up an RBI double but retired the side on two flyouts.
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Date: April 29, 2009
Name: Joe Tucker
Position: Outfield
Opponent: Bowie
Situation: Start of the 9th inning, down 6-1
Result: He allowed the Baysox to load the bases with one out, but he then got an inning-ending double play.
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreisenweber.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: When position players pitch for Erie SeaWolves, results can be uneven
