Jeremy Peña’s parents weren’t going to miss his first big-league series, traveling west to see their son debut at Angel Stadium. After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts (both against Halos ace Shohei Ohtani) in Thursday night’s opener, the Astros rookie broke out for three hits Friday including his first MLB homer. And, wouldn’t you know it, Peña’s solo blast occurred at the same moment Mom and Dad (former Cardinals infielder Geronimo Peña) were being interviewed by Apple TV sideline reporter Heidi Watney. Here was their reaction.
Considered the top prospect in Houston’s farm system, the 24-year-old shortstop could be a name to watch for American League Rookie of the Year coming off a superb spring, hitting .350 with two homers and nine RBI over 20 Grapefruit League at-bats. Peña’s emergence was one of the reasons Houston moved on from All-Star Carlos Correa this offseason, allowing him to join the Twins in free agency.
The reigning AL champs are off to a booming start, winning their first two games in Anaheim by a combined score of 16-7 with a league-best eight homers (six of them coming Friday night) in that span.
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