Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports
In front of 23,199 fans in attendance for the Citrus Series finale, Alex Colome couldn’t have asked for a better start to his MLB Career. Making his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays, Colome baffled the lineup of the Miami Marlins, on the way to his first career win. Colome was the first pitcher since Jeanmar Gomez (7-8-2010), formerly of the Cleveland Indians, to make his MLB debut as a starter without allowing an earned run.
Facing the league’s worst offense, Colome was able to show off his repertoire of pitches. He flashed a fastball reaching mid-to-high 90′s, but really made his mark with his secondary pitches. With his secondary pitches, Colome was able to cause 19 swing and misses by the Marlins, with only 95 pitches on the night.
The night didn’t exactly start off on the right foot for Colome. After striking out the first batter he faced, Chris Coghlan, Colome struggled with his control. This is an issue that has plagued him at some points during his 2013 campaign with the Rays AAA affiliate, the Durham Bulls. Colome reeled off five straight balls, ultimately putting two free runners on base for the Marlins. Marcell Ozuna then hit a single, the first hit off of Colome, loading the bases. Jose Molina was charged with a passed ball on a strikeout, allowed one unearned run to score for the Marlins and Colome settled in from there.
The rest of the time on the mound for Colome yielded only four more hits, with zero walks. That made his line for the night: 5.2 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 unearned run, and 7 strikeouts.
The Rays couldn’t have picked a better night for Colome to make his debut. Fans were able to see the 24-year-old fight through a tough inning, help the Rays sweep the Marlins and give fans a glimpse into the near future.
