{{short description|Venezuelan baseball player (born 1972)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Felipe Lira | image = | caption = | position = Pitcher | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|4|26}} | birth_place = Santa Teresa del Tuy, Miranda, Venezuela | bats = Right | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = April 27 | debutyear = 1995 | debutteam = Detroit Tigers |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = May 21 | finalyear = 2001 | finalteam = Montreal Expos |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 26–46 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 5.30 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 346 |stat2league = CPBL | stat21label = Win–loss record | stat21value = 0–0 | stat22label = Earned run average | stat22value = 5.40 | stat23label = Strikeouts | stat23value = 3 | teams = * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1997}}) * Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|1998}}) * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1999}}) * Montreal Expos ({{mlby|2000}}–{{mlby|2001}}) * Macoto Cobras ({{baseball year|2004}}) }} '''Felipe Antonio Lira''' (born April 26, 1972) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1995}}-{{mlby|1997}}), Seattle Mariners (1997-{{mlby|1998}}) and Montreal Expos ({{mlby|2000}}-{{mlby|2001}}).
In a six-year career, Lira compiled a 26–46 record with 348 strikeouts and a 5.32 ERA in 577 innings. As a batter with the Expos, he hit .211 (4-for-19) with two home runs, both hit in 2000.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Felipe Lira Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lirafe01.shtml |access-date=2026-04-08 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> On August 29, 1995, Lira notched his only MLB save. He recorded the final out of the game to preserve a 7–5 Tigers victory over the Chicago White Sox. He saved the game for starter Sean Bergman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA199508290.shtml|title=Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox Box Score, August 29, 1995}}</ref> Lira was the Tigers Opening Day starter in 1996, taking the loss against the Minnesota Twins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twins 8, Tigers 6 - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/04/01/Twins-8-Tigers-6/4103828334800/ |access-date=2026-04-08 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> On September 6, he gave up Eddie Murray's 500th home run.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stetka |first=Bill |title=Celebrating Eddie Murray's 500th Home Run |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/celebrating-eddie-murray-s-500th-home-run |access-date=2026-04-08 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>
Detroit traded Lira and Omar Olivares to the Mariners for Scott Sanders, Dean Crow, and Carlos Villalobos on July 18, 1997, following a plea from manager Lou Piniella to add pitching.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-07-19 |title=Mariners Get Lira, Olivares From Tigers |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-19-sp-14234-story.html |access-date=2026-04-08 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Following a 4–0 stretch in May with the Tigers, Lira lost his final seven decisions in 1997 and finished the season in the minors.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/montreal-expos-2001-media-guide-c/page/131/ |title=Montreal Expos 2001 Media Guide |pages=131}}</ref> Lira returned to the Tigers in 1999, finishing his MLB career with two seasons with Montreal.<ref name=":0" />
==See also== * List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=l/lirafe01|brm=lira--001ant}}
{{Detroit Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lira, Felipe}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Bristol Tigers players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Everett AquaSox players Category:Fayetteville Generals players Category:Guerreros de Oaxaca players Category:Lakeland Tigers players Category:London Tigers players Category:Louisville Bats players Category:Montreal Expos players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Category:20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen Category:Mexican Baseball League pitchers Category:Norfolk Tides players Category:Ottawa Lynx players Category:Baseball players from Miranda (state) Category:Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Category:Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Category:Seattle Mariners players Category:Tacoma Rainiers players Category:Tiburones de La Guaira players Category:Toledo Mud Hens players Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Category:Yuma Scorpions players Category:Macoto Cobras players Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Taiwan