Michael O?Connor, a graduate of Mt. St. Joe?s and George Washington University, was slated to start on the mound Tuesday night for the Washington Nationals against the host New York Mets.
The left-handed pitcher made his Major League debut on Thursday in St. Louis, and allowed no earned runs in five innings in a loss to the Cardinals.
“I was wild with my fastball. I was behind a lot of guys” in the count, O?Connor, from Ellicott City in Howard County, said Saturday night from St. Louis. In other baseball news, Catonsville High graduate and former Catonsville Community College pitcher Jeff Nelson signed a minor league contract Tuesday with the world champion Chicago White Sox.
O?Connor, who was called up from Triple-A New Orleans last week, said his parents, brother, girlfriend and other friends attended his first big league game.
“I was definitelya little nervous. I was definitely pleased. I threw a lot of pitches early,” he said. He took the spot of Nats starter John Patterson, who is injured. John Maine, a former Oriole prospect from northern Virginia, was slated to start Tuesday night for the Mets. Maine once pitched for the Aberdeen IronBirds.
