River Ryan handed the ball to manager Dave Roberts in the top of the sixth inning Monday night, and as he headed toward the third-base dugout, a crowd 49,576 at Dodger Stadium rose to applaud the 25-year-old right-hander, who glanced at the upper deck and tapped his chest in appreciation of the standing ovation.
No matter what happened after he departed a tie game with runners on first and third and one out, it was clear by the crowd’s reaction and the high-fives and handshakes Ryan received in the dugout that his major league debut was a success.