Tigers' Chris Paddack Got Emotional After Recording a Career First Against Yankees
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It has not been an easy stretch for one of the Detroit Tigers' newest pitchers.
Chris Paddack, who was acquired ahead of the trade deadline with the aim of him providing starting pitching depth, was demoted to the bullpen following a tough stretch of performances. And right after that, he suffered a death in his family that caused him to leave the team for a few days.
The veteran pitcher was thankful for the internal support he received from his new team, and when he returned, he was ready to do whatever it took to help the Tigers as they attempt to lock up their first division title since 2014.
Chris Paddack Records First Career MLB Save
That occurred on Tuesday against the New York Yankees when manager A.J. Hinch turned to Paddack in the bottom of the seventh after the offense exploded for nine runs in the top of the frame that gave Detroit a commanding 11-2 lead.
In his second outing since the role change, the right-hander threw a three up, three down inning where he struck out the first batter and induced two fly-ball outs. That gave Hinch the green light to throw Paddack out there for another frame, a decision the veteran paid back with two straight strike outs and another fly out.
Then, Paddack was allowed to go back out there for the bottom of the ninth, another inning he maneuvered in three up, three down fashion with a strike out, a ground out and a fly out. Because he pitched three innings in relief and the Tigers won, that earned Paddack his first career MLB save.
Tigers Celebrated Chris Paddack's Milestone After the Game
Detroit made sure to celebrate the career feat that Paddack accomplished, showering him with beer after the game in the clubhouse. That prompted the veteran to get emotional when talking about what occurred.
"I forgot what that feels like. I haven't had a beer shower since 2019," he said, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. "It was good to get back in the basket and dance around with the boys. You never want to take those opportunities for granted. Usually that means something special happened, and I finally got my chance to close out a game."
Paddack probably didn't envision himself as a reliever when he was acquired at the end of July, but that is the role he will have for the remainder of the season. His acceptance and commitment to doing what the team needs is not something that has gone unnoticed by his teammates.
"He's a grinder. He does the right thing for us," Gleyber Torres said. "He's tried to figure out a way to pitch better for us and for him. Tonight, first save, three innings, no runs, it's really special, and we celebrated together."
If that is the type of performance Paddack can provide Detroit going forward -- three innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts and no walks -- he is going to be a major part of this team putting together a deep run in October.
