Kingham dazzles in MLB debut on Sunday
CHARLESTON, W.V. (April 29, 2018) - After beginning 2018 in Triple-A Indianapolis, Nick Kingham was recalled on Sunday to make his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park and turned in a spectacle for his first career outing at the big league level. With his debut behind
CHARLESTON, W.V. (April 29, 2018) - After beginning 2018 in Triple-A Indianapolis,
A fourth-round draft pick in 2010 by Pittsburgh, Kingham befuddled the Cardinals bats on Sunday, allowing just one hit over seven innings while striking out nine batters on 98 pitches. The right-hander took a perfect game through 6.2 innings before Paul DeJong broke up Kingham's effort with a single to left field. The Houston native set down the first 20 batters he faced in his MLB debut before allowing a baserunner, the most batters any pitcher has set down to begin their first career MLB game since 1961, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Drafted out of Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Nev., Kingham appeared in just two games for the GCL Pirates in 2010 before turning in his first complete season with the State College Spikes in 2011. During that campaign, Kingham went 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA, the lowest mark among all Pirates farmhands, while making 15 starts and spinning 71 innings. He would spend all of 2012 with the Power, where he turned in a 6-8 record with a 4.39 ERA in 27 starts, although he did retire 117 batters in 127 innings.
After toeing the rubber 26 times in 2014 between Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis, Kingham missed most of 2015 and 2016 due to Tommy John surgery, but returned to form in 2017 at the Triple-A level and was 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in four starts for Indianapolis at the time of his call-up. The 2013 Florida State League All-Star has a career 43-41 MiLB record with a 3.37 ERA over 138 games (133 starts), recording 617 strikeouts over 721.2 innings
Kingham is the third former Power player to make his MLB debut in 2018, following right-handers