Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel is evidently not among the most beloved professional athletes in his city right now.
The Phillies closer was given a rude welcome Monday when he entered Game 6 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.
The Philly fans showered him with boos as he ran onto the field for his lone inning of relief in the 8th.
The 35-year-old pitcher is credited for the Phillies’ loss in both Games 3 and 4 against the Diamondbacks. Kimbrel surrendered the game-winning RBI to second baseman Ketel Marte in the ninth inning of Game 3. Kimbrel then gave up a game-changing two-run home run to outfielder Alek Thomas in the eighth inning of Game 4.
Kimbrel’s stumbles have led Phillies manager Rob Thomson to demote the pitcher to “lower-leverage situations.” He entered the eighth inning on Monday with the Diamondbacks leading 5-1. Kimbrel allowed no hits and one walk in what was a clean inning for Philadelphia.
The Phillies’ former closer finished the 2023 regular season with an ERA of 3.26 and 23 saves in 28 save opportunities.
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