Zach Jackson had a difficult time keeping his composure as he jogged out of the A’s bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. In addition to pitching in front of a typically rowdy crowd, he was making his Major League debut.
It didn’t take long for A’s supporters to turn their noses up at Jackson when he walked on to the field to begin their team’s 4-2 loss to the Phillies.
Right away, the tension in Jackson’s body became apparent. He walked Rhys Hoskins in his debut big league appearance, prompting a visit from A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson to the mound.
With a break in play, the right-hander regained his composure and went on to record a scoreless inning for the A’s.
It was an outstanding sweeping fastball across the outer portion of the zone that resulted in a ground-ball double play from Jean Segura in the next at-bat. According to Jackson, Statcast read it as a slider, but it was actually a curveball.
It’s possible that no one in the stadium was more nervous than Jackson’s father, Kevin, who traveled all the way from Oklahoma to be there to witness his debut as a pitcher. Jackson’s mother Gina, sister Chelsea, and fiancé Alex were all in attendance.
On the NBC Sports California broadcast, all four members of Jackson’s family could be seen, stiffening up with each pitch and screaming when they saw the strikeout.
The A’s retrieved both the strikeout pitch and Jackson’s first major league pitch to Hoskins. Jackson stated the baseballs would be given to his father as a gift.
Is Zach Jackson Married?
Zach Jackson is not married yet but he is currently engaged to his fiancé Alex Politz.