Chad Billingsley cruised through the first five innings in a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies starter threw just 70 pitches as he scattered four hits without allowing a run. It was his finest performance of the season. Four more outs and it would have been his longest outing since 2012.
But the mound was empty to start the sixth outing. The bullpen door opened and Jake Diekman jogged to the infield. Billingsley was done. The pitcher's stellar night ended with a bizarre finish.
The Phillies signed Billingsley in January after he missed most of the last two seasons recovering from two surgeries on his right arm.