LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Left-handed pitcher Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) made his MLB debut on Friday against the Athletics, and it was memorable for a couple of reasons.
First, the Rockies and A’s are playing in Las Vegas right now in the home of the Triple-A Aviators. Sullivan last pitched here on May 19, where he allowed seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with two homers and four strikeouts. Second, he was pulled in the third inning after experiencing illness, which he had been dealing with all day.
“He was sick as a dog. He was throwing up in the bullpen before the game,” manager Warren Schaeffer said in his postgame press conference.
“He grinded for us today in his big league debut. I don’t know how much of that he’s going to remember. He was sick as a dog out there, and you can tell he was choking back the vomit the whole time out there, coming in between innings and throwing up. But after that third inning, he looked like death, so that was about all he had. But he did great for us. You don’t want to be sick on (your) debut, but he did a great job (putting up) three zeroes for us.”
“Obviously I wanted to stay out there a little bit longer,” Sullivan said immediately after the game. “I tried to give it everything I had, but I was obviously under the weather a little bit, and the heat wasn’t helping too much. But it’s a huge milestone for me — one of my lifetime goals — so I’m happy I was able to accomplish it.”
And despite Schaeffer joking that Sullivan might not remember it because of how ill he was, Sullivan disagreed slightly with his manager.
“It was definitely a little bit of a blur, just everything leading up to it,” Sullivan said immediately after the game, “but I tried to take it all in as much as I could. This is definitely one of those special days, so (you) try to take it in, but at the end of the day, (you) just go out there and compete.”
The day after, though, he was all smiles.
“(My biggest takeaway from last night is) just knowing that I belong here,” he said Saturday morning. “I’m confident in my abilities. Even though I didn’t feel my best out there, I was still able to put up a couple of zeroes.”
He said he treated it as a normal start, but “there was definitely some extra emotion and nerves in there.
“But I just tried to treat it as the same — same routine, same warm-ups, all that kind of stuff.”
However, he plans to “hydrate more” next time he pitches.
All jokes aside, getting the call was a moment Sullivan will never forget.
“I found out right after the game on Wednesday, and luckily my parents were in town so I was able to tell them right away,” he said. “It was a pretty cool moment.”
“They were super excited,” he continued. “They didn’t expect it — I didn’t expect it either — so it was a great surprise for all of us, and I was happy to celebrate.”
And they made the trip to Las Vegas to witness his first big league moment, alongside some other important folks.
“(Two of) my sisters were there,” he said. “My girlfriend was there, but her brother actually got married this morning (Saturday), so she flew back home. And then my best from home and his dad, so it was a great little crew out there.”
That meant they were there for his favorite moment, which came in the bottom of the first.
“I would say that first strikeout (was my favorite),” he said. “It felt pretty good to get one behind me, especially after that 12-pitch at bat. So that was definitely a plus for me.”
On Saturday morning, Sullivan was feeling much better and is looking forward to tacking his next start. But he’s mostly looking forward to “just going out there to compete.
“I think that’s my favorite thing to do,” he said. “That’s why I play the game and go out there to showcase my abilities, and put the team in a good chance to win.”
To Read: Rockpiles:
- Monday: Paul DePodesta discusses promotions and Rockies prospects (Part I) | Renee Dechert
- Tuesday: Steven Baumann finds unique ways to help Rockies prospects transition to the United States | Sam Bradfield
- Wednesday: What do the Rockies do with Adael Amador? | Skyler Timmins
- Thursday: A curious spike in Rockies injuries | Cory Cohen
- Friday: Are the Rockies breaking out of their offensive drought at home? | Joelle Milholm
- Saturday: When One Rockies Season Is Enough to Remember | James Riggenbach
To Read: News
- Rockies news: An early glimpse at Rockies 2026 attendance | Joelle Milholm
- Weekly Pebble Report: Wilder Dalis is out to prove himself in 2026 | Sam Bradfield & Evan Lang
- Rockies roster: Colorado Rockies call up top prospect Cole Carrigg | Evan Lang
- Rockies prospects: Cole Carrigg describes being called up and where he fits with the Rockies | Renee Dechert
- Rockies news: Jordan Romano isn’t chasing the past. He’s building it back with the Rockies. | Eli Whitney
- Rockies news: Paul DePodesta discusses where the Rockies are now (Part II) | Renee Dechert
- Rockies roster: Rockies to promote Sean Sullivan for Major League debut (Updated) | Cory Cohen
- Rockies roster: Rockies select contract of Eiberson Castellano, make additional roster moves | Renee Dechert
Weekly Discussion Topics
Sean Sullivan’s debut in the searing heat while sick is yet another memorable rookie debut in Rockies history. What are your favorite or most memorable debut moments? Let us know in the comments!
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