FT. MYERS, Fla. — David Buchanan had one thing on his thoughts when he bought to Phillies camp this month:
He wished to apologize to Bryce Harper.
Buchanan, 34, had the chance as a result of he is again with the group the place every thing began greater than a decade in the past. The Phillies chosen him within the seventh spherical of the 2010 Draft.
He made 35 begins in 2014 and ’15. He spent 2016 in Triple-A earlier than pitching the previous seven years in Japan and South Korea. He hopes to bookend his baseball life in Philly, so he signed a Minor League contract to supply beginning pitching depth.
“It was humbling,” Buchanan mentioned about his first run with the Phils. “It solidified how onerous it’s to pitch right here, and how briskly this recreation can pace up on you. It gave me an opportunity to search out myself as a pitcher, as a person and actually come to grips with who I’m. That’s what occurred the final seven years.”
Buchanan allowed two runs in two innings in Monday’s 7-6 loss to Boston at JetBlue Park. He talked afterward about his efficiency, but in addition about how a lot has modified since he final pitched within the large leagues. Within the Phillies clubhouse, he has confronted solely three teammates: Zack Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto and Harper, who homered towards him within the first inning in a Sept. 15, 2015, recreation at Residents Financial institution Park.
Buchanan remembers the Harper homer nicely.
“I had two regrets in my complete big-league profession,” he mentioned. “That at-bat was certainly one of them.”
Not as a result of Harper homered. However as a result of Buchanan’s first pitch sailed behind Harper’s again.
Harper stared again at Buchanan, who missed with the subsequent pitch to fall behind 2-0. Buchanan then tried to drop a curveball over the plate for a strike, however Harper smashed a house run to heart discipline as an alternative.
“I deserved that,” Buchanan mentioned.
Buchanan had not forgotten that sequence. It weighed on him. He mentioned he advised Harper it shouldn’t have occurred.
Buchanan didn’t wish to get into particulars, but it surely’s protected to say the primary pitch was not his thought.
“Once I introduced it up and I used to be speaking concerning the at-bat, he was like, ‘Yeah, 2-0 curveball, homer,’” Buchanan mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Yeah.’ We talked about it. When the Phillies known as, I used to be much more excited to speak to him.
“I wish to get again to the massive leagues as a result of I wish to speak to Bryce and discuss that at-bat. Whoever I used to be taking part in with, that was going to be a dialog. The truth that I bought the possibility to do it in the identical clubhouse was good.”
The final time Buchanan pitched for the Phillies, it was the ultimate recreation of the 2015 season. That lineup included Freddy Galvis, Aaron Altherr, Maikel Franco, Darin Ruf, Jeff Francoeur, Andres Blanco, Erik Kratz and Cameron Rupp.
Buchanan is the final man standing from that group, similar to he’s the final man standing from the Phillies’ 2010 Draft class.
“It’s surreal,” Buchanan mentioned.
Buchanan allowed 4 hits and one stroll on Monday. He struck out two. He wasn’t his finest, however he’ll get extra alternatives.
“Perhaps first time again, some jitters,” he mentioned. “It felt good to be again on the market. It was quite a lot of enjoyable simply to be again in that atmosphere.”