Braves prospect Sean Newcomb's major league debut Saturday was impressive. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound left-hander limited the Mets to four hits, one unearned run and two walks (one intentional) with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
After the 6-1 loss — reliever Luke Jackson gave up five runs — Newcomb discussed how well things went in his first start after being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take injured veteran Bartolo Colon’s place in the rotation.
What did that perfect first inning with two strikeouts do for your confidence, to set the tone?
“Definitely, the first inning for me, specially, has been something that I’ve got to get right. It’s definitely good to get through that, get going in the second and to get to the seventh.”
What can you say about your control today, throwing as many strikes as you did?
“They seem to be a little bit aggressive, kind of some pitches on the edges they were fouling off, taking swings at. But I felt pretty good. I only had that one walk on a close pitch. I was just being aggressive, trying to a attack the zone the whole time.”
Have your breaking pitches — the curve and the slider — been that good all season in the minors?
“Yeah, curveball for sure. It’s kind of always been there. My slider is something I’m still sort of working on, but my curveball definitely.”
Did major league spring-training experience help you, facing big-league hitters there?
“Yeah, and having some success in my second outing while I was there definitely helped.”
What helped you get comfortable when you arrived in the clubhouse today, anything anybody said?
“Nothing too specific. Just coming in and finally actually being here, sitting down at my locker was a relief. Jaime (Garcia) came up to me, talked to me a little bit, kind of made me relax a little bit. That was probably the biggest help right there.”
Did you start getting comfortable right away in the first inning?
“Yeah, I’d say after the first at-bat — I got him, obviously — I was like, ‘All right, I belong here,’ and just kept going forward.”
How nervous were you the past few days after finding out you’d be starting?
“I think that was probably the worst part, the past two days just kind of sitting there and thinking about what everything was going to be like and not knowing what to expect. But definitely once I got here this morning, I kind of just relaxed and I was ready to go.”
What was that like to see veteran umpire Tom Hallion’s animated strikeout calls, ringing up the first two batters you faced looking at called third strikes?
“That was cool. A couple of pitches weren’t even where I was looking to throw them, but it still worked out. But that was cool.”
Would you say that was as good a breaking ball as you’ve had this season?
“Yeah, I’d say. I was able to throw it in the zone and below the zone, too; that definitely helped. The (break) and everything has always been kind of consistent, but I was able to control it a little better today.”
On his errant throw to second base on fielder’s choice grounder (led to unearned run)
“I didn’t even think I was going to get a glove on it; it hit my toe and up into my glove. I was like, got it, and made a quick throw and I obviously threw it into center field. It sped up a little bit.”
On when he started to realize the gravity of the situation, that he was pitching in a major league game
“The first inning, walking off. Got through it and I was kind of walking off and seeing the bigger stadium and hearing everybody and all that stuff, and it kind of hit me.”
On getting a standing ovation as he walked off field in the seventh inning
“That was awesome. I couldn’t really have pictured it going any better than it did, other that one throw into center field.”
