Diamondbacks' Newest Reliever Reaches Massive Career Milestone

Right-handed reliever Taylor Rashi was called up to the Arizona Diamondbacks' major league roster less than 24 hours prior to Thursday's finale matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.

What Rashi didn't know was he'd be the hero of a hard-fought 6-4 win over MLB's best ballclub, earning his first career major league save with a nearly-unbelievable three-inning relief effort.

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The Diamondbacks were able to hold on to a 6-4 win, earning a series split, but it wouldn't have been possible without Rashi's efforts. The righty completed three inning, holding the Brewers' potent offense scoreless on three hits and two walks, while picking up his first three career MLB strikeouts.

Quite the day for his first-ever major league appearance.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Taylor Rashi Reacts to Career Milestone

Following Thursday's win, Rashi spoke with D-backs.TV's Todd Walsh about the impressive career milestone.

"It was a little bit shaky today," Rashi said. "I wasn't quite as crisp as I normally am. But when that happens, you just have to find a way."

"The guys here have been super supportive. The coaching staff came up to me and just said, 'Hey, do the same thing you always do.'"

And what Rashi always does is throw 88-90 MPH fastballs and low-80s off-speed pitches. As underpowered an arsenal as it may look, he had excellent results in an offense-heavy Pacific Coast League, throwing to a 3.48 ERA over 67.1 innings in Triple-A Reno this year.

He was able to use that arsenal well enough to get the job done Thursday.

"I think I just stayed consistent. I do what I always do. I've been throwing 88 MPH fastballs for a long time, and I wasn't going to change it there," Rashi said.

"I wasn't going to try and do too much. I know that my stuff's good enough to get the job done, and at the end of the day, that's just what I try to do."

Rashi said he found out he'd be taking Thursday's game the distance after he finished the eighth.

"I walked in, they didn't shake my hand, so I said, alright, we'll go another," he said.

But the final out of the ballgame was no cakewalk. With two outs and a runner at second, Rashi found himself face-to-face with a pinch-hitter — namely, former MVP and two-time All-Star Christian Yelich.

It was a battle, but Rashi forced a groundout to first base to take down Yelich and slam the door.

"I was excited. I was pumped," he said.

"They always say if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best. That's one of those situations where he's a really good hitter. You've got to find a way to get him out."

And he did.

"This is a great moment for him," manager Torey Lovullo said to Walsh postgame. "It's a great moment and a story of perseverance and believing. He gets the opportunity and goes out there and gets a three-inning save.

"When we needed it most, I think he blocked all that out. But he was, for me, oblivious to what was going on around him and he just made pitches and got a massive, massive save for us."

Lovullo said that Rashi was essentially the only option. Right-hander John Curtiss was available only in an emergency. There was no one coming to save Rashi.

"It's an organizational success story. You've got a group of coaches in AAA that are pounding the table for him. You got player development and staff pounding the table for him and he comes up here and does his job. It's a great moment for this organization and him," Lovullo said.

"No situation is too big for him, and he deserves this opportunity."

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