Stevie Wilkerson becomes first position player to record save

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As mentioned in the recaps of Thursday’s games, Orioles outfielder Stevie Wilkerson took the mound to pitch the bottom of the 16th inning against the Angels. Despite lobbing 55 MPH fastballs, he somehow worked a 1-2-3 inning to close out the 10-8 win for the save.

Wilkerson became the first position player to record a save since the stat became official in 1969, according to MLB’s Stats account on Twitter.

Wilkerson is no stranger to pitching. He took the mound twice this month before Thursday’s game. He threw a scoreless inning in the ninth against the Rays in a 16-4 loss on July 12. On July 20, he gave up a run in two innings of work against the Red Sox in a 17-6 loss.

Phils’ Hoskins tears knee, expected to miss significant time

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CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.