Former WSU pitcher gets big league debut
The college baseball season may be over, but former Shocker Kris Johnson is in the middle of his season as a major league pitcher.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Johnson made his major league debut on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Johnson pitched for six innings after relieving Mark Melancon early in the 11th inning of the 16-inning matchup. The Pirates lost the game 4-2.
In his outing, Johnson struck out five batters and allowed five hits, two runs, and two walks.
With one out to go and two runners on base, Adam Eaton doubled to center, allowing A.J. Pollock and Didi Gregorious to score the winning runs in the bottom of the 16th. The Pirates were unable to recover from the two-run shot leading to the loss.
Johnson played for WSU from 2004-2006, completing his college career with an overall record of 16-2 and a 2.94 ERA.
Johnson was originally drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 50th round of the 2003 draft but chose not to sign. He instead chose to play for Wichita State for three seasons before being drafted 40th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2006 during the 1.5 round.
Before being moved up from AAA ball with the Indianapolis Indians, Johnson had a record of ten wins and four losses with an ERA of 2.41 in the 2013 season.