Jhoan Duran made Phillies history on Opening Day with this crazy stat: 'This seems impossible'

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Phillies are one of baseball's oldest franchises, dating back to the late-1800s when there were just half the number of teams that exist today. But on Opening Day 2026, closer Jhoan Duran did something that no other Phillies' reliever had done before. 

‘This seems impossible’

What we know:

When Duran took the mound with one out in the ninth inning and the tying run at the plate, he probably didn't know that he had a chance to etch his name in the Phillies' history books. 

He might not have even expected to pitch in the first of 162 games. The Phillies led the Texas Rangers 5-0 heading into the final inning, but the once-comfortable lead started to slip when Kyle Bachus allowed three runs in his Phillies debut, recording just one out.

Duran emerged from the bullpen with his trademark intro that captivated the Citizens Bank Park crowd last season to preserve the lead. He struck out the first batter he faced, allowed a run-scoring single, and got a third batter to bounce out to first base.

With the win, Duran became the first Phillies' reliever ever to save a game at home on Opening Day, according to The Athletic's Jayson Stark.

"This seems impossible, but…," Stark wrote in a BlueSky post.

Without undermining the accomplishment, it's worth mentioning that while the Phillies have existed for nearly 150 years, the save has only been an official MLB stat since 1969. Still, that's almost 60 baseball seasons worth of Opening Days.

What's next:

The Phillies will keep their 2026 season rolling on Saturday with the second of three games against the Rangers. 

Aaron Nola will get his first start of the season and be opposed by former Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.