When Gerardo Parra seized the Nationals’ mound on August 3, 2019, his team was behind 11-4 in the eighth inning at Arizona, and he couldn’t know the dubious history he could create in the only pitch of his 12-year career. He walked away the first three batsmen he faced, allowed Alex Avila to Rally Singles, and then took home Rattlesnake rescuer Zack Godley. That’s enough for manager Davey Martinez, who chose to replace Parra with second baseman Brian Dozer on the bumps against left-handed Jarrod Dyson. To build the defensive form he needed without replacement, Martinez moved third baseman Anthony Rendon to Keystone and sent left-handed Parra to a hot corner, a position he had never attended before. Dyson doubled, and ran twice, both of them rushing towards Parra. Martinez flips Rendon and Parra over as Shitt-Hitter Ketel Marte enters the right-handed batsman’s box facing Dozer’s floater, who then makes his second appearance. Marte flew right before the three-in-one home runs by the rider hitting the right hand, and the first run also landed on Parra’s Ledger.
Of course, in three months, the Nationals will win their first and only World Series title, and Pala will perform an evocation rendition of “Baby Shark” every time she hits in Washington, but on that particular night, things get ugly. With his last inning zero innings, five runs (all won), four walks and one strike, Parra became one of three players who allowed five or more runs without having to record their only professional pitch.
I asked this question because the first issue in the mailbag this week was the worst major league pitcher ever. Parra is not the answer because he is not a real pitcher, but his outings are an interesting trivia I encountered in my research, so I have no choice but to share with you. Before we find the actual worst ever candidate, I want to remind everyone that while anyone can submit a question, Fangraphs members are unique. If you don’t have a membership yet and want to continue reading, you can sign up for a membership here. This is the best way to experience the site again and support our staff and brings many other huge benefits. Also, if you want to ask a question about an upcoming mailbag, please email me: sailbag@fangraphs.com.
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