Phillies claim another wild, walk-off win on catcher's interference with bases loaded in 10th

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Edmundo Sosa’s teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies mobbed him beyond first base after a 3-2, walk-off win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

In the moment, it didn’t matter to him that he’d gotten there thanks to a call of catcher’s interference.

“To be honest, this feels exactly like a home run,” Sosa said through a translator. “The most important thing about it is that we end up winning the game, and that’s what we went out to do.”

Sosa won the game when, with the bases loaded and no out in the 10th inning, his check swing on a 2-2 pitch struck the glove of catcher Carlos Narvaez. The Phillies dugout called for a review, which showed the contact, allowing Sosa to take first and automatic runner Brandon Marsh to score the winning run.

“I felt my barrel was a little late on the pitch,” said Sosa, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and singled. “And as I go through my swing path, I feel like I hit the catcher’s glove. And I told the ump that I think I felt something, and I started signaling in the dugout.”

It’s the first instance of a walk-off catcher’s interference in a major league game since Aug. 1, 1971, when the Los Angeles Dodgers won on a call against Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench. Willie Crawford was the batter, Joe Gibbon the pitcher.

The play went down as an error for Narvaez, his sixth of the season, second-most among catchers in the majors. Narvaez also had a passed ball, his fifth, in the fourth inning that moved Nick Castellanos into scoring position after he drove in the Phillies’ first run. Castellanos scored on J.T. Realmuto’s single.

“I don’t feel I was that close to the hitter,” Narvaez said. “Everything went so quick. Really tough for that to happen in that moment to cost us the game. I take accountability. I’ve got to be better. That cannot happen.”

It’s the Phillies’ third walk-off win of the season. The first, against Washington on April 29, came on a wild pitch that allowed Bryson Stott to score. A walk-off on June 6 over the Chicago Cubs came via a Marsh single in the 11th.

The Phillies lost a game in San Francisco on July 8 when Patrick Bailey hit a three-run, walk-off, inside-the-park home run.

“There’s two things this year that I’ve never seen before in 40 years,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “One is a walk-off inside-the-park home run, and one is a walk-off catcher’s interference.”

The Phillies won without putting a ball in play in the 10th. Marsh started the inning at second base. Otto Kemp, trying to bunt him to third, was walked by Boston reliever Jordan Hicks.

Hicks’ first delivery to Max Kepler was a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third. The Red Sox intentionally walked Kepler. Sosa went down 0-2, fouled a pitch off, then offered at an 86 mph slider, hitting only the thumb of Narvaez’s glove to decide the game.

“It’s strange,” Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler said. “People always say, I’ve never seen that before on a baseball field. It’s just another one. I’m wondering how many more times you can say that.”

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Philadelphia Phillies' Edmundo Sosa, right, celebrates with teammates after the Phillies won a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox on catcher's interference with the bases loaded in the 10th inning Monday, July 21, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez waits for umpires to call catcher's interference on him during an at-bat by Philadelphia Phillies' Edmundo Sosa with the bases loaded during the 10th inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Phillies' Edmundo Sosa, right, and Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez wait for umpires to make a catcher's interference call with the bases loaded during the 10th inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Phillies' Edmundo Sosa, right, hits the glove of Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez for catcher's interference with the bases loaded in the 10th inning of a baseball game Monday, July 21, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece and Cyprus are starting 2026 by turning down the volume.

The countries' capital cities, Athens and Nicosia, have traded the familiar whizz, crackle and boom of window‑rattling fireworks for spectacle without the shock wave, opting for low‑noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays.

The shift aims to make New Year celebrations more child‑ and pet‑friendly — especially for animals with more sensitive hearing — in a break from the loud, combustible traditions of the past.

Athens embraced “quiet” fireworks last year, a decision Mayor Haris Doukas says signals a change in priorities.

“This marks a new era in New Year celebrations,” he said. “A spectacular show of light, without deafening noise — respecting people, animals and the environment.”

Nicosia has gone further, abandoning conventional fireworks altogether after assessing their toll. Event planners and municipal officials say fireworks can cause distress to elderly residents, infants, people with autism and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“This decision forms part of the municipality’s broader effort to modernize public celebrations and align them with European trends and sustainability objectives,” the municipality said.

Low-noise fireworks still rely on black powder as a propellant to launch and disperse the “stars” or pellets that create colors and visual effects. But they use smaller charges and avoid the explosive bursts that generate the loud cracks typical of traditional displays.

These quieter pyrotechnics are not new and are often incorporated into larger shows, including effects mounted on landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or the London Eye.

Cris Matthews, founder of Quietworks, a U.K.-based firm specializing in low-impact firework displays, said using quieter options often requires additional planning and creativity, and are ideal for more intimate celebrations.

“The argument for low noise or quiet fireworks becomes a lot more relevant as the shows get smaller,” he said. “For displays such as weddings and private parties, lower-noise firework options can offer many more benefits.”

The private — and often deafening — use of fireworks remains common in Greece and Cyprus for occasions such as Orthodox Easter. In some rural areas, gun-owning traditions still lead to celebratory gunfire. Both practices have resulted in injuries.

Most municipalities in greater Athens this year are sticking with fireworks that include loud bangs. But New Year celebrations in the city center, framed by the ancient Acropolis, are focused on visual splendor, incorporating lights and drones as high-tech options become more sophisticated and affordable.

In Nicosia, drones have now “effectively replaced” fireworks at municipal events, delivering “high levels of creativity,” the municipality said. Unlike fireworks, drone displays generate minimal noise, produce no chemical emissions or debris, and pose no fire risk.

The timing is deliberate. Cyprus assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency on Jan. 1, and the capital plans to use drone displays to showcase Cypriot and EU symbolism throughout the year.

“The Municipality’s overarching objective is to set an example by prioritizing safer, greener, and more sustainable alternatives,” it said, “and by definitively moving away from traditional fireworks in municipal events wherever possible.”

Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia.

Fireworks burst over the Greek capital during the New Year's Eve celebrations, in Athens, Greece, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Fireworks burst over the Greek capital during New Year celebrations in Athens, Greece, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Fireworks exploded over the capital Nicosia during the New Year's celebrations in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Fireworks burst over the capital Nicosia during the New Year's celebrations in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Fireworks burst over the capital Nicosia during the New Year's celebrations in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)