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Former Nebraska pitcher Tony Watson had a positive showing in his first career MLB appearance, as he struck out the only two batters he faced in the eighth inning of Pittsburgh's 3-2 extra inning win over Arizona on Wednesday night.
Watson, who was called up to the Pirates on Tuesday afternoon, entered the game in a 1-1 eighth inning tie with the go-ahead runners on first and second base. The Grimes, Iowa native then tabbed back-to-back full-count strikeouts on Chris Young and Juan Miranda to help force extra innings. The Pirates went on to take a 3-2 victory with a 12th-inning walk-off homer by Andrew McCutchen off former NU pitcher Zach Kroenke. Watson and Kroenke are two of five former Huskers currently playing the Major Leagues. Kroenke, an Omaha, Neb., native, made his MLB debut last September.
Watson was drafted by the Pirates organization in the ninth round of the 2007 MLB Draft and has spent the past five years in Pittsburgh's farm system. A three-year letterwinner for the Huskers (2005-07), the left hander helped lead NU to three straight NCAA Regionals and a College World Series appearance. He had a 22-7 career record at Nebraska and finished on the school's top-10 lists in wins (sixth), innings pitched (244.0, 10th) and starts (35, 10th).