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The Boston Red Sox got a lift from an unexpected source on Wednesday during a blowout of the Atlanta Braves. Infielder Jamie Westbrook recorded his first MLB hit, sending a 3-2 delivery from Jimmy Herget into the left field grass.
The monumental moment was a long time coming for the Red Sox rookie, who made his debut with the team earlier this week.
His long-awaited call-up to the bigs came after an 11-year stint in the minors!
On Sunday, he officially joined the Boston roster. It didn’t take long to get involved in the action. That night, he was called upon to enter the game for a crucial ninth inning at-bat with two runners on in a tie ballgame.
He wouldn’t deliver the game-winning hit, unfortunately, but he did get on base with a walk before the next batter flied out to end the threat. The Red Sox would lose 8-4 in extras.
On Tuesday, he made his first start, going 0-2 at the dish while reaching base on a catcher’s interference and a hit by pitch. He was getting on, but that first hit proved elusive!
That is, until Wednesday.
In his third Major League appearance, Jamie Westbrook was again called upon in a pinch-hit role. This time, he wouldn’t sit back and wait on another walk.
The Red Sox were up 9-0 when the second baseman entered the game, providing a pressure-free at-bat which allowed him to be a bit more aggressive.
That approach paid off when he sent a two-strike pitch into the outfield for a single.
The moment was made more special by the fact that family was in attendance. Born an hour outside of Boston, it was only fitting that he’d get that first hit in Fenway Park.
Here’s what he had to say after the game:
“It was so cool,” he said about the hit. “I [almost] walked a few times… I was like, ‘I’ve gotta swing here. I feel like this is the spot.’ It’s hard to explain, man. Long time in the making, but we’re here now, so the rest is gravy.
“I have a bunch of family here. My grandpa came, he’s 86 years old. He got to see my first big-league hit. My wife, my parents. It’s all for them.”
Jamie Westbrook has been in the minors for more than a decade.
He was initially drafted by the Diamondbacks out of high school in the 2013 MLB Draft. He didn’t think it would take this long to see a big-league diamond.
“If you were to ask me on Draft Day coming out of high school, I would have told you I would have made $200 million and played in the big leagues for 15 years,” he told MLB.com.
It didn’t quite work out that way, but he’s here now!
Westbrook racked up nearly 1,200 hits at the minor league level before finally getting the call.
He’s been crushing baseballs for quite some time!
On Wednesday, he finally got to do it in a Major League uniform. What a moment for the seasoned rookie!