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Phillies' Papelbon records 300th career save

Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't the cleanest outing of his career, but Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon hit a major milestone Tuesday when he got San Diego Padres first baseman Tommy Medica to ground out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Handed a 5-2 lead in the ninth, Papelbon allowed runners to get on the corners with one out before striking out Yonder Alonso and forcing Medica to ground out. 

It took the 33-year-old 552 appearances to earn save No. 300, and now has 14 on the season. 

Papelbon took over as the closer of the Boston Red Sox in 2006 and was the last man on the mound when he secured the team's seventh World Series title a year later. 

The five-time All-Star signed a four-year, $50-million deal with Philadelphia in 2011 and has since saved 81 games. 

All-time MLB saves leaders:

Rank Pitcher Saves
1 Mariano Rivera 652
2 Trevor Hoffman 601
3 Lee Smith 478
4 John Franco 424
25 Jonathan Papelbon 300

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