With week-old daughter in stands, Zach Penrod debuts after long journey to big leagues
NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Penrod’s circuitous journey to the major leagues ended just in time for daughter Noa Mae to attend his debut, though she’ll have to watch the video years from now to learn what she saw.
A 27-year-old left-hander who spent parts of three seasons in the independent Pioneer League, Penrod struck out two in a hitless eighth inning for the Boston Red Sox in a 7-1 win over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Noa Mae, born on Sept. 5, watched from the arms of her mom, Kyla, in the Yankee Stadium seats.
“My wife has been there for every step of the way and to share that moment with her was incredible,” Penrod said after posing for photos on the field with his wife and newborn.
Penrod was at home in Massachusetts on Saturday, getting ready to put Noa Mae to bed, when he was told of the promotion by Dan DeLucia, pitching coach of Triple-A Worcester.
“I missed the first one and then I grabbed the second one," he said of the calls. “I just didn’t recognize the number.”
He entered after Aaron Judge doubled leading off the eighth. Penrod struck out Austin Wells on a slider, fanned Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a changeup at the knees, walked Jasson Domínguez and retired Anthony Rizzo on a popup that third baseman Rafael Devers juggled.
Penrod threw 26 pitches, 15 of them fastballs that averaged 95.1 mph, along with seven changeups and four sliders.
“Eight days ago, they had a baby, so today’s his second-best day of his life,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "That’s the way we presented today. Very calm on the mound, then when he got the third out, he sat down on the dugout and he broke down. He broke down. I mean, we had so many stories about that the last few years, independent baseball, released, Tommy John and then they show up to Yankee Stadium and then get three outs. That’s the cool thing about this.”
Penrod played for Corban, an NAIA school in Oregon, in 2017 and then for NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene in Idaho the following year as an outfielder and pitcher. He signed with Texas in August 2018 as an undrafted free agent, missed 2019 following Tommy John surgery and was released in June 2020, a year the minor league season was canceled because of the pandemic.
He spent parts of 2021 and '22 at Billings, then started 2023 at fellow Pioneer League club Missoula. Boston signed him to a minor league contract on Aug. 16 last year and two days later he pitched five scoreless innings for Class A Greenville.
Penrod had a 2.18 ERA in four starts for the Drive, and Boston sent him to the Arizona Fall League. He began this season at Double-A Portland, was promoted to Worcester on May 26 and had a 5.93 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings over five starts and 10 relief appearances at Triple-A, missing time between June 6 and July 26 because of left shin inflammation.
He received the ball from the first strikeout, which he'll give to his parents, and he'll hang the lineup card at home.
“It’s extremely emotional. I guess it’s been a very long ride," he said. "So just trying to enjoy it.”
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AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.
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