Giants pitcher earns save in first time at MLB stadium
from Victor Barbosa, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Keaton Winn made his first trip to an MLB stadium on Tuesday and came out with a save during the San Francisco Giants 11-3 road win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Keaton Winn: officially a big-leaguer ? pic.twitter.com/M4U31843iq
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 14, 2023
First #SFGiants pitcher to record a save in his MLB debut: pic.twitter.com/77unaExGve
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 14, 2023
The 25-year-old was called up by the Giants on Monday and made his debut Tuesday at Busch Stadium, pitching four innings of one-run ball while allowing one hit and striking out two against three walks.
According to an Associated Press and ESPN report, Winn was “doused with a combination of hot sauce and toothpaste by his teammates after the contest.”
“It was crazy. It was awesome. I don’t even know how to describe it,” Winn said, per the report. “So awesome.”
The right-hander is from Ollie, Iowa, a tiny town reportedly with a population of 200. A good portion of the small community witnessed Winn’s MLB debut according to the report, with “approximately 30 relatives, friends and fans in attendance.”
After playing for Iowa Western Community College, Winn was selected by San Francisco in the 20th round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft but returned to the school for one more season. He was then selected by the Giants in the fifth round in 2018.
Winn began to work his way through the Giants minor league system, before missing the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He then had Tommy John surgery ahead of the 2021 season and returned midway through 2022.
**********Winn might have been looking for the win going in, but he got the save, none-the-less…**********