Kris Bryant strikes out in his first three major-league at-bats
The time has come! After 648 at-bats in the minors, Chicago Cubs prospect Kris Bryant received his first major-league at-bat Friday. There was plenty of hype surrounding the event, so would Bryant deliver his first time up?
Not just yet — and it didn’t get much better as the day went on. Bryant struck three times in his first three MLB at-bats then grounded to third in his fourth trip to the plate.
In the first at-bat, San Diego Padres pitcher James Shields got the best of Bryant, striking him out on just three pitches. Shields led off Bryant with a low 89 mph cutter that Bryant was able to tip. He then threw his trademark changeup for a swinging strike. With an 0-2 count, Shields again turned to his changeup for the swinging strikeout.
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The fans were into the at-bat almost immediately. The crowd cheered loudly after Anthony Rizzo walked in the first inning, knowing they would get to see the 23-year-old Bryant take his hacks. Many fans stood up during the duration of the at-bat. There was an audible groan when Bryant went down swinging.
Bryant got the fans involved even before stepping to the plate. In the top of the first inning, he turned a double play on his first defensive opportunity. Based on the fan reaction, it may have been the loudest double play ever turned on the North Side.
Bryant looked better at the plate his second time around. After getting into a quick 0-2 hole against Shields, Bryant was able to lay off two straight changeups in the dirt. He even called time during the at-bat, suggesting maybe he felt more comfortable up there. After Shields missed with a fastball, Bryant was able to bring the count to 3-2. On the next pitch, Bryant couldn’t lay off another changeup, and went down swinging again.
In at-bat No. 3, Bryant fanned again. This time, the Cubs had runners at second and third after four straight hits. The stage was set for Bryant to contribute, but Shield baffled him again. This time, the third strike came on a cutter that fooled Bryant. He waved weakly at it.
When Bryant came to the plate in the seventh, there wasn’t much reverence shown by the Padres. Relief pitcher Dale Thayer intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo to pitch to Bryant with the tying run on second base. It worked, as Bryant grounded to third base and a fielder’s choice ended the inning. That made Bryant 0-for-4 with four runners stranded.
It’s a humbling start to Bryant’s major-league career, but not unexpected. Shields is a smart, veteran pitcher, and it’s no surprise he was able to get the rookie during his first two at-bats.
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Making adjustments will be a big part of Bryant’s game now that he’s reached the majors. We’ll see just how quickly he can adjust as the game moves forward.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
