‘I actually didn’t know’ — Blade Tidwell admits unknowingly reaching an MLB first just hours after getting called up to the Giants
The former Tennessee Vols star reunited with his college manager on Thursday evening, and then he did what he normally does with Tony Vitello looking on from the dugout — sit down batters.
Talk about a first impression. Well, at least on his San Francisco Giants teammates and the Bay Area fans.
It’s nothing new for Tony Vitello to watch Blade Tidwell toe the rubber and sit batters down.
And that’s exactly what happened in Tidwell’s debut with the Giants on Thursday night against the New York Mets just hours after getting called up from Triple-A Sacramento.
Tidwell came into the game with the Giants up 7-2 in the seventh inning, and he proceeded to threw three scoreless innings to pick up his first professional save.
He recorded his first out on a 5-4-3 double play to quell a potential rally, and ended up striking out the last two batters he faced to slam the door on the game.
After the game, Tidwell said that he wasn’t even aware that he had notched his first MLB save until the catcher handed him the ball and told him.
Former Tennessee pitcher Blade Tidwell notched his first career MLB save in the Giants’ win over the Mets
“It was very exciting. Actually, I didn’t know it was a save, so (Giants catcher Daniel) Susac was handing me the ball after the game, and I was like, ‘why are you handing me the ball?’ And he was like, ‘that’s a save.’ And I said we’re up by five, but it was nice.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a save. Oh, actually, that’s not true. Tennessee, when I was coming back from injury [against] Mississippi State. So, 2022.”
As far as whether his teammates did anything beyond hand him the ball for his first save, he said he got a shower from his teammates that included “a lot of condiments”.
“Yeah, I almost threw up.”
Tennessee Volunteers News
Josh Elander follows through on change he hinted making ahead of Tennessee’s pivotal series with LSU
After tinkering with his starting pitching last weekend against Vanderbilt, Josh Elander will be making another tweak to Tennessee’s rotation this weekend in a crucial series against the LSU Tigers
