Zack Grienke is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
He formerly played for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Arizona Diamondbacks, among others.
After winning the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award as a high school senior, he was picked in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft with the 6th pick. After playing in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut in 2004.
As part of the Astros’ Game 5 win at Trust Park in Atlanta on Sunday night, Zack Greinke became the first pitcher to register a pinch-hit in the World Series since 1923.
Manager Dusty Baker requested Greinke to pinch-hit for Yimi Garcia in the fourth inning of the Astros’ must-win game.
The Astros right-hander, who started Game 4 of the Fall Classic and also hit a single while pitching four shutout innings, joins Jack Bentley, who pinch-hit for the New York Giants in Games 1 and 4 of the 1923 World Series.
What Did Zack Greinke Do?
On September 25, against the Seattle Mariners, Greinke became the only pitcher since 1920 to strike out 13 batters in five innings or less.
He went on to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game alongside four other Angels pitchers, tying an American League record.