In a moment that perfectly captures the wild unpredictability of baseball, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann etched his name into the record books on Thursday night. McCann tied an MLB mark by becoming the first position player to pitch in four games before May, a quirky milestone that speaks volumes about the D-Backs' season so far.
Taking the mound during the eighth inning of Arizona's 13-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, McCann delivered a performance that was equal parts entertaining and effective. The veteran backstop allowed just one unearned run on one hit and two walks, navigating through the frame with a steady diet of soft, high-arching eephus pitches that had fans and teammates alike grinning.
McCann's arsenal was something special: his first 22 pitches averaged a mere 36.8 mph, with only five cracking the 40 mph mark. His fourth offering peaked at 49.6 mph but sailed outside the zone, resulting in a leadoff walk to Brice Turang. But McCann saved his best for last, unleashing a 65 mph fastball that Sal Frelick grounded into a tidy 4-6-3 double play. (Credit to Frelick, who had already homered earlier in the game, for avoiding any postgame ribbing.)
In total, McCann threw 24 pitches—11 for strikes—and lowered his season ERA from 15.00 to 11.25 across four appearances. Over four innings this year, the catcher has surrendered five runs (all unearned), nine hits, and three walks. Not bad for a guy who usually spends his time behind the plate calling games, not throwing them.
McCann's four pitching appearances before May ties Christian Bethancourt's 2017 mark for the Padres, the most by a position player in that timeframe since at least 1901. (This stat excludes two-way players or those who converted from pitcher to position player.) Since Thursday marked the final day of April, McCann won't have a chance to break the record until next season.
On a brighter note for Diamondbacks fans, infielder Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hit streak to 23 games—tying for the second-longest such streak to start a season since 1940, per MLB.com's Sarah Langs. Vargas, who has now hit safely in 26 consecutive games overall, leads the majors in hitting. Sometimes, even in a blowout loss, there's a silver lining worth cheering about.