In a high-stakes game against a fellow first-place team, this was the exact kind of performance the Phillies envisioned when they acquired Durán.

Duran discovered the signature pitch by accident during a bullpen session in 2018. This season, he’s thrown the pitch nearly 40% of the time and is holding opponents to a .221 average.

The emotions were mixed Wednesday when Duran was traded Wednesday from Twins to the Phillies. Minnesota was mid-firesale, landing minor league catcher Eduardo Tait and near-major league starter Mick Abel. Duran has been with Minnesota since 2018, playing all four of his major league seasons there in his ascent to elite closer status.