Big League Stew - MLB

Hey Alan Embree(notes)! Joel Hanrahan(notes) sees your pitchless victory from earlier this week and raises you a no-show win while enjoying an off-day with another team in a city 1,500 miles away from the game's completion.

OK, so Hanrahan officially threw 16 pitches to become the winning pitcher in the Nationals' 11-10, 11-inning win over the Astros in a suspended game that was started on May 5 in Washington but not completed until Thursday in Houston.

But Hanrahan didn't throw a pitch during the seven-minute relocated resumption because in the 65 days that it took for the two teams to say "game on!" he was traded to Pittsburgh as part of the Nyjer Morgan(notes)-Lastings Milledge deal. Though he had to turn in his curly W before being shipped out on June 30, he remained Washington's pitcher of record and earned his first (and only) Nats victory of the season when his old teammates pulled off the "home" victory in the bottom of the 11th at Minute Maid Park.  

The best part of this week's latest unique pitching credit? Well, as Hanrahan pointed out in a phone call with the AP, his win came against a division rival of his new team in Pitttsburgh:

"It's pretty funny. It feels pretty good in the situation that (Pittsburgh is) in. Houston is a team in our division and we gained ground (in the standings)."

That Hanrahan earned a win only after appearing in 34 games with Washington (while racking up a 7.71 ERA and 1.949 WHIP) just seems so Nationals, doesn't it?

But, truthfully, the team was almost guaranteed of something like this happening. Seven players who were on Washington's roster on May 5 are no longer suiting up and four of the game's five relievers no longer reside in DC. Morgan, the former Pirate, scored the winning run after taking the place of the since-demoted Elijah Dukes(notes) on the basepaths.

The Nats may be historically terrible — their 25 wins are by far the least in baseball and even their broadcasters are turning against them — but at least they're capable of producing some pretty interesting headlines. (And a weird win once in awhile, too.)

digg delicious
more

123 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. meechone
    1. Posted by meechone Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:02 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Shout out to Davey Brown for his Lenny Harris-like pinch hitting job this week.
  2. Duk
    2. Posted by 'Duk Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:11 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hear, hear
  3. nate
    3. Posted by nate Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:14 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    That's the magic of baseball. Every week there's some situation that has never come up in the previous 90 years.
  4. Baker
    4. Posted by Baker Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:20 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Only the Nats could find away to have winning pitchers NOT on their team
  5. Awesome Possum
    5. Posted by Awesome Possum Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:42 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    It would've been so freakin' awesome if it wasn't against the 'Stros but against the Pirates. And Hanrahan would be the losing pitcher for the Pirates. Now HOW would you tally that? Would it have been legal to use Hanrahan on the Pirates' side?
  6. Ricky
    6. Posted by Ricky Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:16 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Baseball is fun that way. Always fun circumstances. Baseball is definitly for fans that like statistics
  7. Duma
    7. Posted by Duma Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:18 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    He was traded from Washington to Pittsburgh? That's like being traded from Hell to Purgatory...poor guy.
  8. Brett M
    8. Posted by Brett M Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:19 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I can't believe even the Pirates wanted this guy as bad as the Pirates suck ass. This guy blows.
  9. C. N
    9. Posted by C. N Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:22 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Awesome Possum:
    Hanrahan could not have been the losing pitcher regardless of who it was against. The game picked up in the bottom of the 11th. Had Washington not scored in the 11th, they would have brought in a new pitcher in the 12th becanse Hanrahan wasn't on the team. He would not have been allowed to pitch for Pittsburgh had this game been against the Pirates. Once you're out of a game, you can't come back.
  10. Matt T
    10. Posted by Matt T Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:24 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    balls
  11. Allen
    11. Posted by Allen Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:27 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    First a pick off attempt and a win for Alan Embree (I think), and now this win for Hanrahan.
    Mr. Pujols with 4 grannies and Jason Werth with 20 hr's before the All Star Break.
    Texas is in 1st in the AL West.
    And the Cubs still suck (sorry couldn't help that one).
    What more can happen in the world of baseball this year??
  12. Bret B
    12. Posted by Bret B Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:37 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Wtf
  13. Chris
    13. Posted by Chris Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:38 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    To bad the Nationals are the Worst team in Baseball..HA!!
  14. enirique b
    14. Posted by enirique b Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    This is front page news? How sad.
  15. SS
    15. Posted by SS Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:49 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The Nats won? That is weird...
  16. Sean S
    16. Posted by Sean S Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:53 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    So baseball sucks, huh?? But yet reading articles on it and commenting about your hatred for the sport....that's just plain awesome , right?
  17. Mendoza Line
    17. Posted by Mendoza Line Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:53 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Sorry Duk, this isn't nearly as cool as Embree's no-pitch win.
  18. John RainierS
    18. Posted by John RainierS Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:10 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    That's really cool....
  19. Airon
    19. Posted by Airon Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:11 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    What really would have been neat is if he pitched for the Astros and got both the loss and the win! That would be awesome!
  20. Airon
    20. Posted by Airon Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:12 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Rick Nash says that baseball is ok as long as it doens't get in the way of his domination of all things hockey.
  21. tef43
    21. Posted by tef43 Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:23 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    'Duk's ramblings are a complete waste of bandwidth.
  22. pickersmurf
    22. Posted by pickersmurf Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:28 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Just dying for the NFL season to start. I use to love baseball.
  23. Jared
    23. Posted by Jared Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:40 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Either way, The TEXAS RANGERS will be World Champs!
  24. Ryan
    24. Posted by Ryan Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Well thats good, cause he prolly wont get another one playing in pittsburgh! lol
  25. Ryno
    25. Posted by Ryno Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:02 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    good for him thats great

Big League Stew

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

'Duk

Big League Stew is an MLB blog edited by Kevin Kaduk. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Teams

Customize to follow news and rumors on your favorite teams. [ Sign in ]

Related Photo Gallery

Y! Sports Blogs

Big League Stew Recent Readers