Jorge Alfaro was still at his locker, still stewing.
Alfaro didn’t throw the back-to-back pitches that landed in the bleachers in the ninth inning May 11 at Citizens Bank Park, but he did call them. In his mind, then, he was every bit as complicit as embattled reliever Nector Neris in the gut punch of a 3-1 Phillies loss to the New York Mets.
Neris didn’t see the point of waiting around after the game to answer reporters’ questions, but Alfaro realized an explanation was required. So, the catcher said he called for a fastball rather than Neris’ signature splitter on the go-ahead homer and claimed he would do it again, too, believing it was the right pitch for the situation.