#CatchersWhoPitch: Miguel Montero was the Cubs' best pitcher on Saturday

Cubs manager Joe Maddon needed a hero on Saturday night against the Yankees. His team was en route to an 11-6 loss and the bullpen was depleted, so he needed a position player to take the mound.

Fortunately for Maddon, he already had someone who was well-prepared for the task -- catcher Miguel Montero . Just last year, Montero made the first pitching appearance of his 12-year career with 1 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Mets.

This time, Montero was tasked with controlling New York's other team.

It wasn't the smoothest inning. Montero got two outs, but sandwiched them around walks to Gary Sánchez and Chris Carter . One pitch even sailed over Carter's head, causing Montero to cringe.

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"It was scary -- the last thing I want to do is hit somebody in the head," Montero said to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "The ball just came out of my hand, and it's cold. I'm not a pitcher, and I just tried to throw the ball over the plate as best I can."

It all worked out anyway, though. Montero induced a fly ball from Rob Refsnyder to escape the inning unscathed, much to the amused Wrigely Field crowd's delight. They celebrated with a nice round of applause, and Montero doffed his cap.

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"I put a zero on the board," Montero said about the ovation. "An ugly one, but I put up a zero."

Although his team lost, Montero could take a small solace of pride out of his night. Of all four Cubs pitchers who took the mound on Saturday, he was the only one who didn't allow a run. His manager was certainly appreciative. "We needed that," Maddon said. "We needed that like oxygen."

Sure, Montero allowed some walks, but that's why the term "effectively wild" exists.