The San Diego Padres called up Jake Smith, who forged an unlikely path to the Major Leagues, on Wednesday.
Smith spent years as a groundskeeper for the San Francisco Giants.
Hanley Ramirez welcomed Smith with a solo home run on the first pitch the 27-year-old threw.
"It's a rude greeting to your Major League career by Hanley Ramirez," Andy Green said. "He threw the ball well. … He attacked. He was in the zone. I think that's what you want out of a young guy who jumps up from Double-A for his first big league start."
Smith threw 14 pitches in his one inning, and surrendered one additional hit that should have been caught in left-center field, before inducing a double play and flyout to end the eighth.
"[He] settled in nicely after the home run," Green said. "Sometimes you don't know how a guy's going to respond the first time on a Major League field. Give up a home run on your very first pitch, he was right back in the strike zone. Those are good things to see."