Dugan Darnell’s major league debut was perfect.
The 28-year-old relief pitcher entered a game that appeared hopelessly lost. Yet, when all was said and done, he’d won. It was the story of his baseball career — told in two innings.
When the undrafted right-hander strolled to the mound at Coors Field to Eminem’s “Square Dance” in the eighth inning on Aug. 1, few took much notice. The Rockies trailed the Pirates, 16-9. Many in the crowd of 36,030 had drifted off into the sweltering Friday night. But in the Rockies’ family section, a dozen fans lived and died with every pitch.