Ricky Karcher’s MLB debut was one to remember. So was his postgame interview.
The Reds called up Karcher, 25, from Triple A Louisville on Friday. He didn’t get into a game over the weekend, but on Monday, with the Cincinnati bullpen shorthanded, he got the call to try to secure the save in the bottom of the 10th against the Royals in Kansas City with the Reds clinging to a one-run lead.
It wasn’t easy. Karcher struggled with his fastball command, throwing nine of them and missing the strike zone with each one. But his slider was good enough to get him out of the one-out jam with runners on second and third that he found himself in, and the Reds won their sixth out of their last eight.
After the game, a hilariously monotone Karcher conducted an excellent interview with Bally Sports Cincinnati sideline reporter Jim Day while the entire rest of the team was perched on the top step of the dugout.
“It’s like a movie, bro,” Karcher said. “It doesn’t even feel real, man. It’s incredible. Holy s---.”
"It's like a movie. It doesn't even feel real."
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 13, 2023
Bet the Gatorade bath felt real 🤣
#ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/pjba62q07E
Karcher was at a loss for words trying to describe the feeling. Over the course of the two-minute interview, he said “I don’t know” seven times. The Reds even made a helpful infographic.
Some impressive numbers from Ricky Karcher's debut: pic.twitter.com/0fC8DDbKgY
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 13, 2023
Karcher can thank veteran catcher Curt Casali for helping to make his debut go so smoothly. Karcher came awfully close to literally throwing the game away with two outs in the inning when he threw a fastball a foot over the head of Maikel Garcia. Casali managed to snag it with an outstretched arm to prevent the tying run from scoring.
After getting Garcia to fly out to end the game, Casali had a simple message for Karcher: “I was just like, ‘We’ve got to work on your fastball, buddy.’”
