At long last, Matt Buschmann makes his big-league debut

Apr 11, 2016, 8:43 AM

This is a 2016 photo of Matt Buschmann of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. This image reflects the Arizona Diamondbacks active roster as of Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, when this image was taken. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

BY VINCE MAROTTA

Arizona Sports

Since being the 453rd player taken in the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the San Diego Padres out of Vanderbilt University, Matt Buschmann has been around the block more times than the ice cream man.

Buschmann has played for six different organizations and 12 different minor league teams. He pitched 1,408 innings in 296 minor-league appearances.

Sunday, he finally got a taste of “the show” when he came on in relief in the ninth inning of the D-backs’ 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field. He got the first batter he faced, Matt Szczur, to ground out to shortstop.

Buschmann then gave up a single to Munenori Kawasaki and intentionally walked Miguel Montero before getting Addison Russell to ground into an inning-ending 4-3 double play.

“I’m still processing it, but it was really cool,” Buschmann said following the game. “All I was thinking about was coming in and having a clean inning and throwing strikes, that’s it.”

That clean inning didn’t happen, but Buschmann relied on his vast pro experience to wiggle out of the ninth-inning jam.

Buschmann was called up from Triple-A Reno Friday when the D-backs optioned reliever Kyle Drabek. He got loose a couple times in the bullpen, but didn’t get into a game until Sunday afternoon.

“I think the warming up a couple times before was probably good to relax me a little bit,” he said. “I knew going in and I went in on a clean inning. It was cool.”

Buschmann had family members in attendance, including his wife, ESPN Sportscenter anchor Sara Walsh.

“They got to see it, so that was great.”