Edmundo Sosa reached safely to open the ninth inning of Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday, but the run to first base ended his afternoon. The Phillies utility man beat out an infield single with the game even at 3-3, then came up hurting beyond the bag and asked for a pinch-runner.
The result
Sosa had been trying to manage a groin issue that first surfaced in Sunday’s regular-season finale. He and interim manager Don Mattingly had indicated he was available for the postseason, though Sosa also appeared uncomfortable running after a fifth-inning double in Tuesday’s Game 1.
There was no masking it in the ninth on Wednesday. Sosa sent a grounder through the shortstop hole and had little trouble reaching first, but he continued down the right-field line in visible pain. After turning toward the third-base dugout, he signaled that he needed to come out.
Derek Hill entered as the pinch-runner and stayed in the game in right field. The defensive shuffle moved Bryce Harper from right field to first base, with Alec Bohm taking over at third.
The timing leaves Philadelphia with another infield concern. Luis Arraez was not included on the Wild Card Series roster because of a sprained ankle, and Sosa’s ability to return is now an added question as the series moves toward Game 3 on Thursday.
