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First save of Chris Paddack’s career comes in emotional Tigers return

Just awesome.
ByEmma Lingan|
Detroit Tigers pitcher Chris Paddack looks on before throwing a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Chris Paddack looks on before throwing a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers completed a 12-2 rout of the New York Yankees on Tuesday, but their nine-run seventh inning wasn't the only part of the night worth celebrating.

Tuesday also marked the triumphant return of Tigers pitcher Chris Paddack, who came out of the bullpen to the first save of his seven-year Major League career.

Paddack had just rejoined the team over the weekend after spending a few days on the bereavement list following a death in his family. He entered Tuesday's game in relief of Casey Mize, who had been excellent through six innings, and tossed three scoreless frames to earn the save.

Paddack's teammates celebrated accordingly, showering him with beer in the visiting locker room after the game. The gesture wasn't lost on Paddack, who choked up while thanking Tigers fans and his teammates for their support.

“I forgot what that feels like. I haven’t had a beer shower since 2019,” Paddack said (via Jason Beck of MLB.com). “It was good to get back in the basket and dance around with the boys. You never want to take those opportunities for granted. Usually that means something special happened, and I finally got my chance to close out a game.”

First save of Chris Paddack’s career comes in emotional Tigers return

Tuesday's appearance was Paddack's second relief appearance for the Tigers and his first since Sept. 2. It hasn't been an easy year for the veteran right-hander, who was traded to the Tigers from the Minnesota Twins at the July deadline and subsequently moved to the bullpen due to inconsistent performance.

Paddack has an underwhelming 5.26 ERA and 6.3 K/9 on the season between Minnesota and Detroit. He is expected to stay in the Tigers' bullpen for the remainder of the season (and the postseason), and the hope is that his stuff will continue to play in long relief.

If Tuesday's performance is any indication of what Paddack can do for the Tigers going forward – three innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts and no walks – he will be a big part of the reason Detroit makes a deep run in October.

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