Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel is evidently not among the most beloved professional athletes in his city right now.
The Phillies closer was given a rude welcome Monday when he entered Game 6 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.
The Philly fans showered him with boos as he ran onto the field for his lone inning of relief in the 8th.
Kimbrel’s stumbles have led Phillies manager Rob Thomson to demote the pitcher to “lower-leverage situations.” He entered the eighth inning on Monday with the Diamondbacks leading 5-1. Kimbrel allowed no hits and one walk in what was a clean inning for Philadelphia.
The Phillies’ former closer finished the 2023 regular season with an ERA of 3.26 and 23 saves in 28 save opportunities.
