Former Things pitcher makes major league debut

The list of former Wild Things who have gone on to play in the major leagues doubled Tuesday night.
Pitcher Chris Smith became the second former Wild Things player to appear in a major league game when he pitched one scoreless inning Tuesday for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Smith played two seasons (2011-12) for Washington. He was promoted Tuesday from Class AAA Syracuse and pitched the ninth inning of the Blue Jays’ 3-1 loss to Baltimore later that day. He retired three of the four batters he faced, allowing a two-out single by the Orioles’ Craig Gentry.
During the final week of last season, Smith was added to Toronto’s 40-man roster but did not appear in a game for the Blue Jays. To make room for Smith on the 25-man active roster, Toronto designated for assignment Jason Grilli, a former all-star and closer with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pitcher Vidal Nuno, who was optioned last week to Baltimore’s Class AAA affiliate in Norfolk, is the only other former Wild Things player to appear in a major league game. Nuno has a 5-21 record in five years with four major league teams. Nuno made six starts for the Wild Things in 2011. Former Wild Things pitcher Tom Cochran (2006-07) was promoted to the major leagues by the Cincinnati Reds for two days in 2011 but did not appear in a game.
Smith was signed by Washington in August of 2011 and had a 1-2 record and 4.50 in six games (five starts). He was the Wild Things’ top starting pitcher in 2012, when he had a 9-6 record, 3.34 ERA, two shutouts and 116 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings. The nine wins were the team-high in 2012.
The 28-year-old Smith pitched for the Blue Jays this spring but an injury limited him to one appearance in April for Class AAA Buffalo. He had a 1-2 record, four saves and a 3.93 ERA in 14 outings for Buffalo.
Smith is the 32nd former Frontier League player to advance to the major leagues and the seventh to appear in a game this season, joining Nuno, Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jose Martinez, New York Mets pitcher Josh Smoker, Colorado Rockies outfielder Stephen Cardullo and Cincinnati catcher Ariel Hernandez.