Sometimes, things turn out as well as you hoped they would. Jhoan Duran closing for the Phillies is one of those things for fans in Philadelphia. The team's big-name deadline addition has only played two games for his new team, and he's already brushing up with fan favorite, local legend status because of how electric his stuff has been in his two outings — both saves. On Sunday, Duran threw the fastest pitch in Phillies history with a 102.7 MPH fastball... and then promptly beat that record with a 103.3 MPH fastball on his very last pitch of the game, which Riley Greene had simply no chance of catching up to. A record-setting performance in your second game with a franchise is a good way to endear yourself to a notoriously prickly fan base.
Just nasty stuff from Durantula, who must be loving the electricity. In the words of Bryce Harper, "It plays a little bit different in Philly, man. Nothing against Minnesota, but it plays a little different here with our crowd and our fanbase." Can't argue with that.
Duran closing out a Christopher Sanchez gem is music to Philadelphia's ears
Sunday's 2-0 win against the Tigers was probably as close to baseball euphoria as Phillies fans can achieve in the regular season. Christopher Sanchez, who is pitching himself into an ace, went eight shutout innings against the AL Central-leading Tigers, then handed the ball of to Duran, who put the finishing touches on the shutout.
This is pretty much exactly what Phillies fans envisioned when the team added Duran. They've been without a real, bona fide closer for a while now and added one of the best in baseball to back up one of the best rotations in the sport. It's a good recipe.
This is how good teams become World Series teams. They address their needs and don't half-ass it, either. Any deep playoff run for the Phils required a lockdown closer and Duran fits the billing. His stuff was already nasty enough, and now he has the deafening soundwave of CBP at his back, too.