There were no hits in three at-bats, and he made a bad throw from shortstop for his first major league error.
Even still, Cooper Pratt was all smiles in the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse later Tuesday night, June 16.
“We won,” he said when asked what he’d remember most about his debut at the game’s highest level, a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Field. “That’s for sure. Maybe I’ll remember the ball that I threw halfway up the net.
“Got it out of the way early.”
The good vibes began before the first pitch was even thrown as the rookie trotted out to his spot at shortstop only to turn around and discover he was briefly all by his lonesome on the infield.
“That was kind of funny,” said second baseman Brice Turang, who’d not long thereafter combined to complete Pratt’s first defensive play and then homer in the fourth.
“That was a last-minute decision we all kind of made, letting him run out and take the field and then we waited until he looked back kind of like, ‘Where’s everybody at?’ Tried to keep it light for him. I know he’s thinking about a million things just like everybody else in their debut.
“Tried to keep it light and remind him that this is a game and it’s fun.”
Pratt’s first chance to impact the game came with runners on first and second and one out in the second. Steven Kwan sent a room-service ground ball Pratt’s way, and he did his part by fielding it and flipping to Turang, who threw on to Andrew Vaughn to complete the 6-4-3 twin killing.
Afterwards, the ball was already encased in a cube and labeled.
“I didn’t know they did that,” he said of his first big-league momento.
Pratt’s first at-bat came when he led off the Brewers’ third against Slade Cecconi. Batting eighth, he took a cutter down the middle for Strike 1 and then swung away at a slider down and on the outside corner that he yanked to shortstop for a groundout.
Then to start the fourth, Pratt ranged into the hole between shortstop and third to glove a Brayan Rocchio grounder only to slip a little with his plant leg and fire a throw that sailed well over Andrew Vaughn’s head at first base for an error.
No harm, no foul as starter Robert Gasser retired the next three batters.
An inning later Pratt again faced Cecconi and this time grounded out to second baseman Travis Bazzana, a play on which Garrett Mitchell advanced to second.
“If he were to look down to the third-base coach the one time he hit the ground ball to second, we were going to hit and run right there,” said manager Pat Murphy. “We had it on, but we didn’t get the sign to him because he didn’t look down.
“He would have had his first hit.”
Cleveland eventually came back to tie it at 1-1 in the seventh, only for Mitchell to homer to begin the bottom of the seventh – a blast that stood as the game winner.
Pratt followed by grounding out to first.
There was nothing more of note for him the rest of the game other than participating in his first high-five line following a victory sealed by Trevor Megill’s ninth save of the season.
“It was exciting,” Pratt said. “Obviously I didn’t get my first knock or anything like that, but we won. Vibes were fantastic. Heart was rushing the first at-bat and the first time I ran out there.
“But it was surreal. Especially when Megill came in and all the lights flicked off. That was pretty cool.”
Pratt had a gaggle of family members and friends on hand and spent plenty of time before and after the game sharing his big moment with them.
“It was kind of cool that the off day was yesterday and when I found out they were all able to get on flights or drive and make it up here,” he said. “A lot of friends and family were here. Family that I haven’t seen in a long time. It was special, man.
“I couldn’t really see them. I tried to look into the crowd and couldn’t really see them. But I knew they were there. It was cool.”
The Brewers’ next game Wednesday night should feel more normal for the 21-year-old, who became the fifth Brewer to make his debut this season. He joined catcher Jeferson Quero (March 29), left-hander Shane Drohan (April 8), right-hander Coleman Crow (April 17) and left-hander Brian Fitzpatrick (April 29).
“Proud of the kid,” said Murphy. “Proud of the first game, getting it out of the way.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cooper Pratt gets his first win out of the way as a major leaguer
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
