‘The boys are hungry’: The backstory behind José Alvarado’s ‘home run chickens.’

DENVER — Last year, when the Phillies were in San Diego, bullpen coach Dave Lundquist was sitting next to reliever José Alvarado during a game. As a joke, Lundquist took a towel and began to twist it. A few minutes later, he handed Alvarado a towel-made rotisserie chicken.

Alvarado asked Lundquist to teach him how to make the chickens, and before long, he started making them himself. Alvarado would hang them up in the dugout after the Phillies hit home runs. Lundquist calls them “home run chickens.”

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“After each home run, I make the chicken and hang it up,” Alvarado said. “I make them in the bullpen. It’s something different after home runs. After home runs, the batters usually wave to us in the bullpen as they round second base, but sometimes they forget. So I wanted to do something they wouldn’t forget.”

“It’s one of the many crafts he’s mastered,” Lundquist said. “He’s working on a lot of things.”

When the other relievers first saw rotisserie chickens made out of towels hanging up in the bullpen, like pieces of meat in a butcher shop, they were slightly confused. But now, it’s become a Phillies tradition.

“I was like dang, that’s pretty impressive how close it resembles an actual chicken,” said Connor Brogdon.

“It’s fun,” said Seranthony Domínguez. “I like the chickens.”

Alvarado, who is currently on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, has been sitting in the dugout during games. He’s started making the rotisserie chickens there, instead of the bullpen. His teammates have quickly caught on.

“The boys are hungry. They are always looking to make sure I keep the chicken well cooked,” Alvarado said on Sunday. “[Josh] Harrison is always very hungry. He was hungry yesterday, so I had to cook a second chicken.”

Alvarado glanced over at Harrison in the clubhouse.

“Hey Harry, you hungry today?” Alavardo asked.

“Give me dos horas [two hours],” Harrison said. “Mucho hambre [I’m very hungry].”

“I need to make more chicken today,” Alvarado said.

It’s just another way to bring some levity to a game that’s often one of failure. Alvarado isn’t just one of the best relievers in the game. He’s also an artist — and a chef.

“Today? Mother’s Day? I tell you what,” Alvarado said. “Today, we get three chickens.”

Manager Rob Thomson said that reliever Nick Nelson got another hamstring injury on Saturday night in triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had to exit his start early. Nelson was on a rehab stint to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered in spring training. … Thomson said that Darick Hall (right thumb sprain) will start to take dry swings (swings without hitting a ball) on Monday and will throw out to 75 feet. ... Colorado pitcher Ryan Feltner has a skull fracture and concussion after getting hit by a line drive off the bat of Nick Castellanos on Saturday night. He was likely to be discharged from Swedish Medical Center later Sunday. He will not need surgery.

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