Phillies Win on Rare Walk-Off Catcher's Interference First in 52 Years

The Philadelphia Phillies secured a rare and historic walk-off victory against the Boston Red Sox on July 21, 2025, via catcher’s interference, a play not seen in Major League Baseball since 1971. In the bottom of the 10th inning with bases loaded and no outs, Edmundo Sosa checked his swing on a pitch outside the strike zone but accidentally made contact with Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez’s glove, resulting in an automatic interference call that allowed Brandon Marsh to score the winning run. The game was tied 2-2 after nine innings, with key RBI singles from Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto for the Phillies and Trevor Story for the Red Sox. The unusual ending stunned the Red Sox and highlighted baseball’s unique and obscure rules, as catcher’s interference is exceedingly rare and typically occurs when the catcher’s glove hinders the batter’s swing. This victory allowed the Phillies to maintain their lead in the NL East standings with a 57-43 record, edging out the New York Mets by half a game. Phillies manager Rob Thomson noted this was one of only two such walk-off plays he had ever seen in 40 years, underscoring the rarity and excitement of the moment.