Welcome to the majors … you’re outta here

John Lannan

John Lannan sees his major league debut 17 years ago today with Washington Nationals abruptly end in the bottom of the fifth inning as always quick-to-overreact plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejects Lannan after the left-hander hits Philadelphia’s Chase Utley and Ryan Howard – both left-handed batters – on consecutive pitches in a one-run game.

Lannan allows four runs in the game before Washington rallies for a 5-4 victory before a Thursday afternoon crowd of 43,413 in South Philly.

Chase Utley gets hit with a pitch

“I’m pretty shocked,” Lannan tells reporters after the game.

“I wasn’t throwing at anybody. I was trying to make pitches. It got away from me. I was trying to go inside. With Utley, it just got away from me. I was trying to go inside with two strikes. With Howard, I was trying to do the same thing. I was trying to get ahead.”

Turns out that Utley and Howard are the only two batters Lannan hits with pitches during his 35 innings in the majors in 2007.

Six years later, Lannan signs as a free agent with Phillies, for whom he goes 3-6 in 14 starts in 2013. Playing defense behind Lannan that season are Utley and Howard.