Jose Oquendo---1990
On occasion, position players will be
asked to throw an inning in a mop up
guest appearance on the mound.
Sometimes in an early blowout the
guy may get two innings. However in
one rare occasion, utility player Jose
Oquendo actually hurled four innings
for the Cardinals in a tied ballgame.
Entering the game in the ninth inning
of the May 14, 1988 Atlanta-St. Louis
game as a defensive replacement at
first base in a Whitey Herzog double-
switch, Oquendo would find himself
on the mound in the 16th inning.
Oquendo’s first inning work was
shaky as Ken Griffey, Sr. led off with
a double, but would eventually be
gunned down at the plate by Tom
Brunansky in keeping the game tied
at 5-5.
His second inning went smoother, as
Oquendo allowed only a single by
Braves center fielder Dion James in
retiring the side.
After setting down Griffey and Gerald
Perry on fly balls to begin the 18th
inning, Oquendo walked the next two
batters before getting Ron Gant to
line out to end the inning.
Along the way Atlanta’s Rick Mahler
was setting down the Cardinals as
the starter responded to the call for
relief. In a comical strategy twist,
Herzog was using starting pitcher
Jose DeLeon in the outfield when he
brought in Oquendo to pitch; running
DeLeon between right and left field in
switches involving Tom Brunansky
depending on the Atlanta batter.
However the magic disappeared in
the 19th, as Oquendo issued a one-
out walk to Dion James and a two-out
walk to Dale Murphy. Both would
eventually score on a Griffey double,
deep down the left field line.
Mahler would set the Cardinals down
in order (his eighth inning of relief
work) as the Braves downed the
Cards, 7-5.
All totaled there were 535 pitches in
the 19-inning affair. Oquendo threw
65 of which 35 were strikes. His final
line was 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB,
1 SO (Rick Mahler) and a tough “L”.
The utility infielder would take the
mound on three occasions during his
career, to finish with a 12.00 ERA in
six innings of work.
Years later Oquendo would look back
at the 1988 game saying, “I got the
loss, but I didn’t get any runs.”
(6/30/08)
asked to throw an inning in a mop up
guest appearance on the mound.
Sometimes in an early blowout the
guy may get two innings. However in
one rare occasion, utility player Jose
Oquendo actually hurled four innings
for the Cardinals in a tied ballgame.
Entering the game in the ninth inning
of the May 14, 1988 Atlanta-St. Louis
game as a defensive replacement at
first base in a Whitey Herzog double-
switch, Oquendo would find himself
on the mound in the 16th inning.
Oquendo’s first inning work was
shaky as Ken Griffey, Sr. led off with
a double, but would eventually be
gunned down at the plate by Tom
Brunansky in keeping the game tied
at 5-5.
His second inning went smoother, as
Oquendo allowed only a single by
Braves center fielder Dion James in
retiring the side.
After setting down Griffey and Gerald
Perry on fly balls to begin the 18th
inning, Oquendo walked the next two
batters before getting Ron Gant to
line out to end the inning.
Along the way Atlanta’s Rick Mahler
was setting down the Cardinals as
the starter responded to the call for
relief. In a comical strategy twist,
Herzog was using starting pitcher
Jose DeLeon in the outfield when he
brought in Oquendo to pitch; running
DeLeon between right and left field in
switches involving Tom Brunansky
depending on the Atlanta batter.
However the magic disappeared in
the 19th, as Oquendo issued a one-
out walk to Dion James and a two-out
walk to Dale Murphy. Both would
eventually score on a Griffey double,
deep down the left field line.
Mahler would set the Cardinals down
in order (his eighth inning of relief
work) as the Braves downed the
Cards, 7-5.
All totaled there were 535 pitches in
the 19-inning affair. Oquendo threw
65 of which 35 were strikes. His final
line was 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB,
1 SO (Rick Mahler) and a tough “L”.
The utility infielder would take the
mound on three occasions during his
career, to finish with a 12.00 ERA in
six innings of work.
Years later Oquendo would look back
at the 1988 game saying, “I got the
loss, but I didn’t get any runs.”
(6/30/08)
