Phillies Pull Off Electric Debut for New Closer Jhoan Duran
So let me tell you about one of the most electric moments we've seen at Citizens Bank Park this season — Jhoan Duran’s debut as a Phillie. If you missed it, you seriously missed something special. This wasn’t just a pitcher walking out to close a game — this was a full-on production, lights, music, fire, and all.
The Phillies had just acquired Duran from the Twins, and anyone who’s followed him knows that his walk-out in Minnesota was legendary. They called him “Durantula” — not just for the name, but because of the spider-themed visuals and high-energy entrance he had. He’s got spiders on his cleats, a spider tattoo, and apparently spider graphics crawling across everything when he comes in. It’s his thing.
So when the Phillies made the trade official on Wednesday, their production team — led by video producer Emily Rutzen — went into overdrive. They had two days. That’s it. Two days to create something just as wild for Philadelphia. And they pulled it off.
The drama started in the eighth inning against the Tigers. Bryson Stott beat out a throw to first base after replay review, and that gave the Phillies the lead. It also gave them the green light to bring in Duran for the save. And boom — the whole show kicked off. The lights dropped. Fans were told to turn on their phone flashlights. The song started — a remix of Farruko’s “El Incomprendido” and “Hot” by Pitbull and Daddy Yankee — and the scoreboard lit up with fire and creepy-crawling spiders around Duran’s name. It was intense. Chills, honestly.
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This all came together with help from Minnesota’s production team, who sent over the audio remix and some graphics. Philly added their own flair — flashes of orange floodlights, the bell lighting up, and that signature Philly grit. The entrance lasted maybe a minute, but it felt like a movie premiere.
What’s wild is that this wasn’t even a planned save situation until late in the game. The PhanaVision crew was literally scrambling, unsure if they’d even get to hit play on the entrance. But they got their moment — and Duran nailed the save in just four pitches.
Even Bryce Harper — who got ejected earlier — said it looked amazing from the locker room. And the fans? They ate it up. It was shared all over social media that night.
Duran was touched by the whole thing. He said it made him feel loved, and that the Phillies "do everything for baseball.” He even got his lucky number 59 back — after manager Rob Thomson graciously gave it up. Duran said his wife nearly cried because that number is tied to so many memories in their life, even embedded into their pool back home.
The Phillies are planning to expand the show even more — synchronized phone flashlights, new visuals — but even on Day 1, they nailed it. And with October on the horizon, the question now is: if this was the debut… what will his entrance look like in the playoffs?
Let’s just say, Philly knows how to put on a show — and now, so does their new closer.
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