SAN FRANCISCO–Giants’ catcher Buster Posey is the consummate team leader who chooses every word carefully.
Phillies’ reliever Hector Neris is relatively new to the closer’s role, and trying to hang onto it for as long as possible.
So when Neris hit Posey with a fastball in the back in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday, it raised eyebrows. And when Posey offered up his thoughts on the incident after the game, it dropped jaws.
“I’m pretty certain that he hit me on purpose,” Posey said. “It’s just a shame because I wanted to compete that at-bat. He’s got good stuff, but I guess he didn’t feel like he could get me out.”
With the Phillies ahead 4-2 and Posey at the plate with runners on first and second, Neris drilled Posey with the first pitch of the at-bat to load the bases. Posey thought Neris was afraid he couldn’t get him out. Neris thought that claim was ridiculous.
“This is stupid because nobody watched that, nobody say, ‘Oh he hit me on purpose in that situation,” Nerris said. “Especially at that time when he put me in in that inning and the game, I go save the inning for you. I want to do my job.”
Posey was robbed of the chance to hit, and the Giants’ next batter, Pablo Sandoval, struck out to end the inning.
“It would have been fun, big spot, it would have been fun to hit,” Posey said.
Neris said he entered the game to face Posey with the goal of rolling a double play. The only problem? When he came on to pitch, there were already two outs on the board. Either way, it was surprising for Neris to put an additional runner in scoring position, and Posey felt the pitch was pre-meditated.
“No chance. I don’t want to put the game on the line,” Neris said. “I don’t want to put like the guy to tie at third base. I want to attack the hitter because I want a double play. I don’t want to hit anybody in that situation.”
Posey was asked after the game if he thought Neris had a reason to hit him, but couldn’t think of why the Phillies’ closer would do it.
“Can you?” Posey responded.
After Sunday’s loss, which officially knocked the Giants out of contention in the National League West, Posey clearly felt Neris didn’t want to face him with the game on the line. Neris had a different viewpoint, and said he just wanted to do his job.
“I respect everybody, I go to do my job there and I don’t have anything to anybody,” Nerris said.