BALTIMORE -- When John Rooney found out Saturday night he was going to The Show, he knew he wasn’t going to sleep before an early morning flight from Des Moines to Baltimore.
He didn’t. Not one wink.
Rooney arrived at Oriole Park at Camden Yards Sunday two hours before first pitch. Then, watching from the visitor’s bullpen in the outfield, he got the call he had been waiting for through seven Minor League seasons.
The left-hander made his Major League debut for the Astros in the bottom of the sixth in their 3-2 loss to the Orioles, going 1 1/3 innings and throwing 23 pitches, 14 for strikes.
Replacing starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti with a man on and a run in, Rooney displayed what manager Joe Espada called a “funky” three-quarter southpaw delivery. After walking Orioles DH Samuel Basallo, Rooney struck out Dylan Beavers with his patented sweeper to stop the rally.
Arrighetti (1-5) took the loss but twirled 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on six hits with no walks and two strikeouts over 97 pitches, 67 for strikes. He pitched around four hits, including a Gunnar Henderson solo homer, in the first inning to stay into the sixth.
"I had 25 [pitches] in the first inning and was still able to scrap for almost five more [innings] after that,” Arrighetti said. “I was really excited about that. Obviously, nobody wants to go out there and throw 30 in the first, but I think the way I was going at guys it made them make good swings, made them put the ball in play."
In the seventh inning, Rooney allowed a homer to Luis Vázquez, but he again showed resiliency to strike out leadoff hitter Colton Cowser with another sweeper to end the frame.
"It was different for sure the first time,” Rooney said. “But once I got out there it just felt comfortable. Obviously, the walk was [not what I wanted], but you get that first batter out of the way and I am like, 'You know what, these guys are the same people.' Just do my job, not change a thing, and sure enough got that strikeout.”
Rooney, acquired on Aug. 3 from the Marlins for cash considerations, spent three days with the Astros in Boston without getting into a game before being sent to Triple-A.
Fast forward to this weekend. Rooney caught the earliest flight from Iowa Sunday morning to get to Baltimore in time. Houston had optioned right-hander AJ Blubaugh prior to the series finale to make room for the left-hander, who stayed awake all night for fear of missing his wakeup call Sunday morning.
"I didn't sleep,” Rooney said. “I was thinking to myself, 'Don't be the guy that sleeps past his alarm and misses his opportunity to be in the big leagues.' You are sitting there like on Christmas Eve and I'm like, 'I'm not going to sleep.' I still haven't slept. I'm going to try to sleep on the plane. We'll see. I want to spend time with the guys; I might not sleep for a while.
"I knew once I got called up after the game last night it's going to be one of those nights. It's just part of it."
Contrast Rooney’s first ever appearance with the 839th appearance for veteran reliever and former Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel, who came in to record a shutout frame.
After signing a Major League contract Friday, the 37-year-old made his Astros debut in the eighth inning against one of his former teams, striking out two following a leadoff single. It was his first Major League appearance since June 6 with the Braves.
"Kimbrel’s still got a little juice on that fastball,” Espada said. “[He] threw some really good breaking balls. The only pitch was when he almost broke [Yainer] Diaz's wrist on that fastball. Good stuff. He's aggressive in the zone. He's got that demeanor, that presence still. He can get people out in big spots."
Diaz (left wrist) was tended to by the Astros’ medical staff but remained in the game.
Despite the setback Sunday, the Astros feel good heading back to Houston after winning three of four against the Orioles, scoring 28 runs in the series following a sweep in Detroit.
"We were locked in,” Espada said. “We made some adjustments that we needed to. We saw [this Orioles] staff before, so we were more familiar with what we were going to see. We were able to grind through some at-bats. Our offense came together. We will continue that when we get back home."