PHILADELPHIA — Jose Ruiz may be a walking statistical oddity.
He recorded his first-ever save on the last day of the regular season in 2024. He had finished 96 games in his career. None of them were save opportunities. He was nine games away from tying the Major League record for most games finished without recording a save.
On Friday, he became the first Phillies pitcher since Jeremy Horst on Aug. 1, 2012 to record an out without facing a batter. Manager Rob Thomson inserted Ruiz into the game to face Mookie Betts with runners on the corner and two outs in the eighth inning.