Thomas Harrington, RHP
When you moved to the bullpen, did you imagine getting a save so fast?
No. I can count on one hand how many times I did it. I knew that coming into the week that this could be a possibility. I didn’t really know I was going to finish the game, but we were in a position and that was really cool.
What was it like to get your first MLB save before your first victory?
I was joking with Shelty that I got that over Paul (Skenes). That was pretty funny. I haven’t told Paul yet, but I’m going to.
How hard was it to get the final three outs?
It’s pretty tough. I can see why that role gets some slack. It’s a pretty tough role. It’s challenging, but it was pretty cool to strike out those last three, even though I gave up that home run. I was in a position to attack.
What was it like to shake the catcher’s hand with fireworks going off?
It was sick. You kind of black out. You don’t even feel it or realize it until you’re going through the handshake line.
Does it give you motivation to pitch a complete game some day?
There’s no doubt. Pitching a complete game is super hard, but I know I can do it. Eventually, I’ll get that opportunity.
You were one of last cuts of spring training. Could you imagine it would turn out like this?
I didn’t even make it out of Florida before my debut, which is kind of interesting. I stayed down there. I missed the first weekend series with Indy just trying to prepare for the upcoming week. Then I got the call, so that was pretty cool. I was just preparing per usual and it just happened to work out that way.
Did it erase any bad feelings about not making Opening Day roster?
Absolutely. You forget about that really quick. There was definitely some disappointment, but I know how hard this game is and the guys up front have to make some tough decisions. It all got erased pretty quick over the course of four days or whatever.
