Jhoan Duran trots in for a save at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
When a review determined that Bryson Stott had beaten out an infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning of Friday's game between the Detroit Tigers and Phillies, there was a playoff-like electricity that reverberated around Citizens Bank Park.
Yes, Stott being safe at first base with two outs meant that Otto Kemp had scored the go-ahead run. Obviously, winning games, particularly at this time of year, is the most important thing. But the Phillies taking the lead in the home half of the eighth inning meant that the newly-acquired Jhoan Duran was going to come into the game with a chance to record a save. And the 43,241 fans that made up the sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park were going to get to experience Duran's much-ballyhooed entrance.
The Liberty Bell in right-center field went from City Connect blue to a reddish, orange color to symbolize fire. The scoreboard in left field read "Phones on, lights out!." There was a tarantula that crawled through fire across the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. Then, the lights were shut off at Citizens Bank Park and the Undertaker style bell began to ring. Duran trotted in to his song — "El Incomprendido" by Farruko — and a stadium that's in its 22nd season experienced the most electric closer entrance in the history of the park.
JHOAN DURAN EVERYONE pic.twitter.com/RlYLHoB0at
Jhoan Duran’s first entrance as a Phillie. pic.twitter.com/VoGufhabDq
Duran said Friday afternoon that he was excited to see the environment at Citizens Bank Park whenever he came into a game for the first time. After the 5-4 win, he was at a loss for words.
"I still feel incredible," Duran said with a smile. "I can't say something. It's amazing."
Jhoan Duran on what it was like coming in to pitch for the Phillies for the first time 🔥🕷️
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/wW4ufJennm
And if it felt like an entire stadium of fans fell for Duran Friday, well, he says the feeling is mutual.
"I can see they love baseball," Duran said. "They do everything for baseball. I love that."
Of course, it helped that Duran turned in about as dominant of a save as you can possibly have to open his Phillies tenure, using just four pitches to lock down the 62nd win of the season for the Phillies:
Jhoan Duran locks down the save on just FOUR pitches in his @Phillies debut! 🔔 pic.twitter.com/aZzzaDH70z
Duran's new teammates got quite a bit of enjoyment out of the spectacle as well.
Ranger Suárez — whose only real blemish over seven innings was a towering three-run home run off the bat of Gleyber Torres — had a smile run across his face when asked about Duran after the win.
"I just hope that, may God bless him with health throughout his whole career — because I think he's bound to do great things with us here," Suárez said through interpreter Diego D'Aniello.
Bryce Harper has been nicknamed "The Showman" for his ability to rise to the moment. Surely, he appreciated the pageantry and electricity of Duran's first outing as a Phillie.
"Yeah, it looked great from my locker," quipped Harper, who was ejected for arguing a check swing call with third-base umpire Vic Carapazza to end the seventh.
Harper — though clearly frustrated with himself for getting thrown out in what felt like a playoff game — elaborated.
"It was great," Harper said of Duran's entrance. "I mean, we all know what it was like in Minnesota when he came in the game. Right when we got him, I texted [baseball communications leaders] KG [Kevin Gregg] and Chris [Ware] and said, 'Hey, we gotta do this, it's really cool.' Lights-out stuff obviously, and Detroit has seen him before, and [still] one-two-three inning there in the ninth."
Bryce Harper on Jhoan Duran’s entrance+performance in the ninth inning: “Yeah, it looked good from my locker.” 😂
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/2m6rK6tm84
Duran exclusively utilized his high-90s "splinker" — a splitter, sinker hybrid — to retire Colt Keith, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene in order in the ninth. And he made sure to point out after the win that he has a certain 100 mph pitch still in his back pocket.
"I don't throw my fastball yet," Duran noted.
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