Joe Boyle Makes MLB Debut, Earns Another Look

Boyle, 24, served as the opener for Sunday's series finale, and tallied three shutout innings, giving up one hit, walking two, and striking out four. Fernando Tatís Jr. accounted for two of those strikeouts when Boyle froze him with a cutter on the outside edge in the first, and then a fastball at the bottom of the zone in the third. 

The first (and only) hit he allowed came off the bat of Juan Soto on an opposite field single. 

The San Diego Padres boast a star-studded lineup, but Boyle wasn't fazed, even in his debut. He admitted that his heart rate was higher than usual for that first frame, "but that just meant that I had to focus more on what I could control and what had been working for me this year. Once I got out there it just felt like baseball. Obviously you know the kind of hitters they are. You know that they're good and what they can handle and what their strengths and weaknesses are, so you prepare for that going into it. Once you get out there, it felt just like baseball." 

Boyle showed off four pitches, but relied on his strengths in his debut, throwing 60% fastballs which ranged from 96-100 miles per hour. "For him, making his debut, we kept it simple" catcher Shea Langeliers said postgame. "Tried to stick to his strengths, just what he was comfortable with doing. What he liked to do, and it turned out pretty good."

The righty also mixed in his cutter (26%), curveball (12%) and threw one slider that was fouled off. 

A's manager Mark Kotsay said postgame that the coaches would be discussing giving Boyle a full start in the final two weeks of the season. "The performance today warrants him going out and getting that opportunity. Extending him a little bit further. We talked about getting our eye on him today, and what we saw is obviously impressive. It's something to build on. We're looking forward to seeing it again."

When asked what Boyle would remember from his debut day in 15-20 years, he said with a smile, "Gonna remember how I burned my tongue on a cup of coffee this morning."