Garrett Stubbs hits game-winning double in Israel victory over Nicaragua
With the bases loaded, two outs and the game tied at one, Garrett Stubbs stepped up to the plate for Team Israel in the bottom of the eighth.
The Phillies backup catcher was batting first and playing third base. Israel wanted him in the lineup, but the veteran Ryan Lavarnway is entrenched as the team’s starting backstop. Stubbs even made a few tough plays at the hot corner early on.
For Israel to have a semblance of a chance to get out of the “Group of Death,” with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, they had to beat Nicaragua in the opener.
With a 2-2 count, Stubbs drove a 98 mph fastball on the outside corner the other way and past the left fielder and into the gap. It bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double to give Team Israel a two-run lead. He was pumped.
It’s a great moment for one of the more likable players in baseball. Stubbs played only 46 games for the Phillies last season, but he hit well early on when J.T. Realmuto struggled and did his part in handling the pitching staff.
He has embraced the role of being the least-used backup catcher in baseball, but he is making the most of having a starring role on a Team Israel team that’s looking to shock the world.
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