PHOENIX – The win may have been erased from his final ledger, but Kohl Drake's Major League debut will live on in his memory forever.
The lessons he learned on Tuesday will almost assuredly pay dividends for seasons to come.
Drake pitched five strong innings in his first big league start and Ildemaro Vargas singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Diamondbacks topped the A’s 6-5 at Chase Field on Tuesday night. Nolan Arenado, Max Kepler and Ketel Marte also recorded RBIs in the win, which is Arizona’s third in its past four games.
Drake -- the D-backs’ No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was effective in his debut, facing seven total batters in the first two innings before running into some trouble in the third. The A’s loaded the bases with nobody out, but the 26-year-old got Shea Langeliers to line out sharply before inducing an inning-ending double play.
It was high-pressure baseball with his family in the stands, and Drake passed his first big league test with flying colors.
“I probably was putting too much pressure on myself mentally,” he said. “I felt a little tight mechanically, and then [pitching coach Brian Kaplan] came out, talked to me, and kind of noticed the adjustment I needed to make.”
The high-stakes moment early in the game came with his parents, Jeff and Nicole, in attendance.
Drake, who became the third D-backs pitcher to make his MLB debut this season, kept them on the edge of their seats in what was otherwise an uneventful outing for the lefty.
“The third inning was a little challenging. We might have almost had a heart attack there, but we got through it,” Jeff said. “You kind of go through the roller coaster of emotions. It’s just really exciting at first, and we’re just so happy for him.”
Nicole echoed that sentiment.
“As a parent, you're always so excited to see their hard work come to fruition and to see them be able to get out of tough situations,” she said. “So, I was very proud of him in that moment, and we’re just so excited to be on this journey with him and to see his dreams come true.”
Drake allowed one run on four hits while striking out five in five innings, and was in line for his first career win until a blown save in the ninth. He used all five pitches in his arsenal, but relied most heavily on his four-seam fastball, which accounted for 41 of his 85 pitches. His changeup and cutter were most effective, generating eight combined whiffs on 15 swings, and he was efficient throughout.
The southpaw went 3-5 with a 6.92 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) for Triple-A Reno this season.
That version of Drake, though, feels like it’s far back in the rearview mirror following his performance on Tuesday.
“That was a massive moment for him. You talk about growth and development, and that's what happens here,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “Even though it's the Major Leagues, when you get out of that mess, it's a big boost of confidence, and you can see he came back in the dugout floating a little bit.
“It's not easy to do.”
Kepler’s three-run blast in the bottom of the first inning gave Drake a cushion heading into the second, where he retired all three batters faced before his third-inning jam.
He said he kept his nerves at bay for the majority of the night, but that early-game lead allowed him to think a little less and just pitch a little more.
“It definitely makes it easier to breathe,” Drake said. “It frees you up a little bit to just kind of be yourself.”
Kepler was happy to oblige.
“Thinking back to my debut, I can't imagine what was going through his head, being on a Major League field for the first time in his life,” he said. “I'm super happy for him.”
Now that the first MLB start is under his belt, Drake is eyeing his next goal, and it’s one he was one out away from earning on Tuesday.
“I mean that's just part of [baseball],” Drake said. “Hopefully the next outing I'll be able to go out there and get a win, but that's what the team was able to do today, as well, is end up with a win.”