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Red Sox rookie on wild MLB debut: ‘It was a very up and down, emotional at-bat’
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- Red Sox rookie on wild MLB debut: ‘It was a very up and down, emotional at-bat’
CINCINNATI — Red Sox rookie reliever Ryan Watson celebrated while walking off the mound after home plate umpire CB Bucknor rang up Reds slugger Eugenio Suárez to end the sixth inning.
Watson thought he had escaped a bases loaded, two-out jam but then Suárez used the ABS (automated ball-strike) system to challenge. The strike call was overturned to a ball, evening the count at 2-2.
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Watson had to return to the mound, regain his composure and do it all over again. Incredibly, the same thing happened on the next pitch.
Bucknor rang up Suárez again, then Suárez challenged (and won) again.
“It was interesting,” Watson said.
Finally, with a full count, Watson retired Suárez on a ground-out to second base, ending the inning.
Despite the Red Sox losing 6-5 in 11 innings , it was a memorable MLB debut for Watson.
“It was a very up and down, emotional at-bat against Suárez there with the challenges and whatnot,” Watson said. “But felt like I was able to lock back in after the two overturned calls there and get a ground ball.”
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Manager Alex Cora said, smiling: “He had two strikeouts or no strikeouts in that inning — and showed a lot.”
Watson did show composure, regrouping after the two overturned calls while his mother, father, brother, girlfriend and cousins watched from the stands at Great American Ball Park.
Watson made the Red Sox ’ Opening Day roster as a Rule 5 Draft pick. He must remain on the active roster for the entire season (unless he goes on the injured list) or be designated for assignment and offered back to his previous team.
“Just take a deep breath and lock back in,” Watson said.
Cora added, “You have to reset and keep making pitches.”
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Watson experienced the ABS system in the minors. But he said he had never had two back-to-back pitches overturned against him — or seen that sort of drama with it.
“Not at that magnitude, no,” Watson said. “That’s probably the loudest I’ve heard a stadium while pitching. So it was intense, for sure.”
Watson replaced reliever Danny Coulombe with two runners on base and two outs in the sixth. Watson walked cleanup hitter Sal Stewart to load the bases before Suárez stepped to the plate.
“Led off with a walk, but was able to get back in the strike zone,” Watson said.
Watson returned for the seventh with the Red Sox down 5-4 and threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings. He finished with three walks and one strikeout in 2 ⅓ scoreless innings.
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“My only goal was to keep us in it and give us a chance there,” Watson said.
Red Sox starter Sonny Gray was impressed with Watson’s composure.
“If we’re being honest, he gave us a chance,” Gray said. “He saved us. He’s the reason we had a chance to tie it at the end. He saved the bullpen. ... To make a pitch, get it challenged, make another pitch, get it challenged, and then come in, a 3-2 count with the bases loaded with two outs and to make another pitch, that was impressive. And that was a big turning point in the game. ... I was happy for him to do that, especially in his debut.”
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