As Rick Renteria was discussing rookie Matt Skole on Monday afternoon in the visiting manager’s office at Progressive Field, the Eagles song “New Kid in Town” played in the background.
A few hours later, Skole, a former Nationals prospect who has played eight seasons in the minors and had 2,500 at-bats before getting the call-up at age 28, had a debut to remember.
The left-handed-hitting first baseman knocked out his first hit on the first pitch he saw as a major leaguer, then smoked a home run to right in the fourth inning.