Rays hand Pirates rookie Thomas Harrington loss in MLB debut

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 1, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — Last week, on the final day of spring training, Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed prospect Thomas Harrington was asked for his biggest takeaway of the preseason.

"I figured out that making the opening day roster is really hard,” Harrington said with a smile. “That's for sure. I also learned that these hitters are really good. I just have to bear down, focus on each pitch and whatever the result is, keep moving on. Just keep going."

Just five games into the regular season, Harrington rejoined the Pirates in Tampa, where he made his MLB debut Tuesday evening against the Tampa Bay Rays. Similar to the harsh reality introduced to him this spring, the rookie was quickly taught how hard it was to pitch at the game’s highest level, suffering the loss in a 7-0 blowout to Tampa Bay at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Harrington ended his debut having allowed six runs, all earned, on seven hits and four walks while striking out two. His control was an issue, as he missed both inside and outside the zone. And when a mistake was made, the Rays capitalized.

His tough day started from the very beginning of the contest, surrendering three runs in the bottom of the first inning. While he was far more successful in the second frame, needing only 12 pitches to retire the side, the Rays tagged him for an additional run in the third and two more in the fourth, via a homer from Brandon Lowe. In the end, he threw 90 pitches, 54 for strikes.

While Harrington struggled, right-hander Shane Baz, a former Pirates prospect who was traded to the Rays as a part of the infamous Chris Archer deal, dominated his former organization, striking out 10 over six innings of shutout-ball. Baz threw 96 pitches, allowing seven hits and walking none to earn his first victory of the season. Rays relievers Mason Englert and Mason Montgomery then put the finishing touches on Baz’s shutout win, throwing three scoreless frames.

The game was over when: Jake Mangum smacked a double to left field to put the Rays ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. The RBI-knock represented Mangum’s fifth-straight hit against the Pirates, following a 4 for 4 effort Monday night. Mangum finished Tuesday’s contest with three more hits, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

On the mound: Justin Lawrence, Caleb Ferguson and Joey Wentz each threw a scoreless frame following Harrington’s exit. Dennis Santana allowed an additional run in the ninth inning, bringing the final score to 7-0. The Pirates bullpen has had a strong showing in its last three games, allowing just four earned runs over 13 1/3 innings of work, albeit most of that coming in low leverage situations.

At the plate: The Pirates tallied nine hits in their loss, tying their season-high. All nine hits were singles. Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes contributed multi-hit efforts. The Pirates went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night, leaving seven men on base. Jared Triolo and Tommy Pham both hit into a double play in the loss.

Most valuable player: Shane Baz. Not only did Baz blank the team that drafted him, he also eclipsed his career high in strikeouts.

Up next: The Pirates will conclude their three game series against the Rays Wednesday afternoon, at George M. Steinbrenner Field. 2024 National League rookie of the year Paul Skenes (0-0, 3.38 ERA) will face right-hander Ryan Pepiot (0-0, 1.50) on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on both SportsNet Pittsburgh and MLB Network. Fans can also listen on 93.7 KDKA-FM.

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