Taj Bradley (23, Tampa Bay Rays) had an unforgettable day. So is his mother.
Bradley started the 2023 Major League Baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the 13th (Korean time).
It was a game with more meaning than ‘one match’.안전놀이터
Tampa Bay, which is on an 11-game winning streak, boldly put Bradley on the starting mound.
Bradley, who was nominated by Tampa Bay in the 2018 draft, is a pitcher who has never had experience in the major leagues.
According to Elias Sports, Tampa Bay is the second time since 1900 that a team with more than 10 consecutive wins has selected a rookie making his big league debut as a starter. In 1969, the Atlanta Braves played rookie Mike McQueen in the final game of the season.
The previous day (12th), as pitcher Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day disabled list (IL) due to a back injury, a call-up opportunity came to rookie Bradley.
Manager Kevin Cash understood the strain on Bradley, a rookie emerging from the team’s undefeated streak. Coach Cash asked Bradley to throw strikes and to help players score a lot.
Standing on the mound with a pounding heart, Bradley allowed a walk to Alex Verdugo, the first batter in the first inning. However, he struck out Rafael Devers with a swing and struck out Justin Turner to find the flow.
Tampa Bay hitters lightened Bradley’s shoulders with a lively offense. In particular, Randy Arozarena’s preemptive three runs in the bottom of the first inning gave Bradley back some composure.
Something else helped Bradley ease his anxiety.
she is his mother
It was also the birthday of her mother, Ana Mosley. The news of her son’s surprise debut made her birthday even more special. Her mother woke up early this morning and left Atlanta to drive to Florida.
And from her seat at Tropicana Field, she watched her son realize his dream. As always, he did not forget to record his son’s appearances with his personal scorebook in hand.
Mosley, the mother, has recorded all of Bradley’s starts since he started in the minor leagues in 2019. When she couldn’t go to the stadium in person, she continued her recordings by watching live broadcasts.
Bradley said, “My mother has recorded every start, every pitch,” and “(Before her debut), people used to say that she wished she hadn’t covered her face because she would miss a pitch.”
Bradley once visited Tropicana Field with his mother after being drafted by Tampa Bay.
On this day, while playing catch in the outfield ahead of the start of the game, he found a spot in center field where he was photographed with his mother at the time.
Bradley confessed, “After my eyes were fixed there, when the first batter entered the plate, all tension disappeared. My heart stopped beating fast and I regained my stability.”
Bradley’s first outing in the majors was impeccable.
He blocked the Boston lineup with 5 hits and 3 runs in 5 innings that day. While giving up one walk, he struck out eight.
Thanks to Bradley’s good pitch, Tampa Bay, which succeeded in overpowering Boston in the early stages, won 12 games in a row by beating Boston 9-7.
“I can’t believe I did it, but it’s great,” said Bradley. It was a really wonderful day,” he said.
After winning his debut fight, Bradley will be able to give his mother an irreplaceable gift on this day, his birthday. Bradley joked and laughed, “It saved me money.”
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay, which continued its winning streak thanks to Bradley’s good pitching, has only one win left in the opening 13-game winning streak written by the Atlanta Braves in 1982 and the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987.