Padres' Matt Waldron Achieves Career First in Beating Phillies

It's become exceedingly rare for a major league pitcher to do what Waldron did Wednesday.

Jun 14, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Waldron (61) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The idea of a starting pitcher facing the opposing lineup a minimum of three times every game has died a slow death.

Relief pitcher usage has risen steadily for more than a century as front offices and managers warmed to the idea of giving opposing hitters a new look earlier and earlier, rather than face a pitcher he's seen twice already. The numbers bear out the wisdom behind the strategy.

For a pitcher to face an opposing hitter a fourth time in the game is especially rare in 2024. Through Wednesday, there have been only 193 plate appearances by a batter facing an opposing pitcher for a fourth time, compared to 10,378 instances of a third meeting.

Against this backdrop, it was noteworthy Wednesday when Padres manager Mike Shildt allowed his starter, Matt Waldron, to face Phillies leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber a fourth time in San Diego's 5-2 victory. He had never done that before in 22 major league games.

“We toyed with (not having Waldron face) Schwarber four times,” Shildt said after the game. “But, like, anybody who’s getting that guy out, I don’t care if he has seen him 10 times in a row, throw metrics out the window.”

The fourth time, Waldron fell behind Schwarber 2-and-1 before getting Schwarber to strike out on a knuckleball foul tipped into the catcher’s mitt to end the seventh inning.

Waldron got six misses, seven fouls, 10 called strikes and finished off eight outs with his knuckleball. He was perhaps as bold with the pitch as he has ever been.

“He tends to not throw the knuckleball in hitters’ counts,” the Phillies Bryson Stott told the media in the home clubhouse. “And today he did.”