Cubs outfielder pitches scoreless inning while throwing in the 50s
It wasn’t a pretty day for the Chicago Cubs. They lost 11-2 to the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, fueled mostly by a seven-run third inning that put the Cubs behind 9-0 at the time. If there was any solace for the Cubs, it’s the entertainment that came in the ninth inning when it came time for a position player to pitch.
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The pitcher was outfielder Jon Jay — who decidedly did not throw gas. Nor cheese. Nor any other substance commonly used to describe baseballs moving fast. In fact, Jay threw more like Henry Rowengartner when his super arm didn’t work anymore and his mom told him to “float it.”
Jay escaped the ninth inning without letting in another Brewers run. He only allowed one hit. And he did all that throwing mostly in the 50s. Heck, he threw back-to-back “curveballs” to Yadiel Rivera that clocked in at 47 and 46 mph, respectively.
47 mph pic.twitter.com/U3DSMcG9BH
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) July 6, 2017
He got Domingo Santana — who had four hits on the day — to swing and miss at a 56 mph “heater.” Tell me that doesn’t look like the final strike at the end of “Rookie of the Year.”
Fooled by 56 mph pic.twitter.com/H6PAWZLk5o
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) July 6, 2017
Despite the grim scoreboard circumstances for the Cubs, Jay said after the game being able to pitch in the big leagues will likely go down as a career highlight. Even if he was throwing at speeds seen at your local Little League field.
#Cubs @jonjayU on pitching: "I might have broken a record for slowest pitches. … I definitely don't have a future as a pitcher"
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) July 6, 2017
Jay: "I never thought I'd ever do that — ever. When i look back when I'm done playing, it'll be a cool moment in my career" #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) July 6, 2017
Most Cubs will happily forget Thursday’s 11-2 loss, but not Jon Jay.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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