ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Pillar tucked a keepsake ball into his bag from his 1,000th career hit that meant even more to him than just putting the Los Angeles Angels ahead to stay in a series-clinching victory over the reigning World Series champions.
While Pillar is a California native, his parents just retired to Texas last December and were at the ballpark for Sunday’s game, even when their son wasn’t starting against the Rangers.
“Baseball’s poetic in a way that I’m here in Texas, my family lives here. My parents are here in attendance,” Pillar said after his pinch-hit two-run single in the seventh inning of a 4-1 victory. “I told them I wasn’t in the starting lineup. They still wanted to be here for me to get an opportunity, and to come up in that situation with them here, it means the world to me.”
The 35-year-old Pillar has only been with the young Los Angeles team for about three weeks. It is the ninth big league team over 12 seasons for the outfielder, who signed on April 30, the same day the Angels put three-time AL MVP Mike Trout on the injured list because of a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery.
College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti apologizes for forgetting German on his Bayern Munich return
Jason Kelce will join ESPN’s 'Monday Night Countdown,' AP source says
CJ Abrams homers as Nationals complete 4
Dodgers acquire pitcher Yohan Ramírez from Mets for cash
Travis Kelce names Taylor Swift his 'significant other' at the Mahomes' charity gala in Las Vegas
Texans receiver Tank Dell was among 10 people wounded in shootout at Florida party, sheriff says
President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador discuss migration in latest call
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Belarus labels German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle ‘extremist,’ bans activities in the country
Cruise worker 'murders newborn son on board ship': Shocked co
Revealed: Billy Vunipola was TEETOTAL for almost two years