Welcome Back Philthy Phil Irwin

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Pirates curveball tossing phenom has returned.  Phil Irwin saw his first game action since early May and it appears that his surgery went well.  Irwin took the spot on the Scottsdale Scorpions roster that Jameson Taillon held and stepped in to pitch well in his first outing in the Arizona Fall League this season.

Irwin retired the first eight batters of the game with a groundout, two fly ball outs, another groundout, two strikeouts, a pop fly and a strikeout.  Not a bad return to action for Philthy Phil, right?

It took Irwin just 39 pitches, with 29 of those being strikes to work three innings.  The only blemish on his outing was a single given up in his third and final inning.

Alex Dickerson struck out twice, going 0-4, before he came to the plate in the tenth for Scottsdale.  Dickerson hit the walk-off game winning single.

Gift Ngoepe grounded out, lined out, walked, struck out and popped out in the tenth inning.  Alen Hanson pinch ran in the ninth.

Matt Benedict pitched one inning and allowed a walk and a double.  It was the first earned run Eggs has given up in the AFL season.

If you haven’t witnessed Irwin’s curveball in action…. enjoy these.  The top one is at AAA Indy and the bottom against Todd Frazier of the Reds.