Red Sox new pitcher pays tribute to dad after 44-mile drive to MLB debut

Tyler Samaniego began his Wednesday in Worcester as a member of the Boston Red Sox affiliate at Triple-A.

He ended the day at Fenway Park as a big leaguer.

In between, the emotions were strong for Samaniego, and he made the most of his chance on the mound, too.

Samaniego learned about 9:30 a.m. that he was getting called up to Boston, according to MLB.com, which meant he had to make the 44-mile drive from Worcester to Fenway.

“I was thinking about my dad,” Samaniego said, via MLB.com. “I lost him at the end of the ‘22 season, and he's the one that introduced me to this game.”

Samaniego got the chance to call the rest of his family on the drive to Boston.

“Been working so long for this,” Samaniego said. “Bittersweet talking to the family, talking to my mother, my girlfriend, my brother, it was awesome. It was emotional.”

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Samaniego remembers his father when he plays because the words "Rip, Pops" are stitched onto it -- "I got him on my glove every time I go out there, he's out there with me," he said.

The lefty pitcher made his MLB debut in the eighth inning -- and he struck out the side.

The Red Sox went on to win 5-0 over the Brewers.

"I know he was out there with me," Samaniego said of his dad afterward. "So it was just awesome."

Debut day for Tyler Samaniego! pic.twitter.com/0jTNYqcjsC

The quick turnaround meant Samaniego's family couldn't make it to Fenway Park, but he told reporters that his brother was "trying not to scream in his office" and his mom was "freaking out."

Samaniego came to the Red Sox from the Pirates in a trade this offseason, and now he'll try to make the most of his opportunity.

“It was exactly how I imagined it,” Samaniego said of debuting at Fenway Park. “Jogging in, looking around, taking it all in, locking it in right before I stepped on the rubber, that was awesome.”

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