For the first seven seasons of his professional career, Spenser Watkins’ dream was to take the mound at Comerica Park. Sunday, wearing an Orioles uniform, he finally got to.
A longtime Detroit Tigers farmhand, Watkins started for Baltimore in a 6-2 loss that left the Orioles with a split in their four-game set at the ballpark that long represented the final destination of the right-hander’s climb toward the major leagues.
A 30th-round pick in 2014, Watkins, 28, bounced around the system and was never considered a top prospect. He pitched well in Detroit’s lower levels but struggled in Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 6.