Pitcher Zach Penrod, who made seven starts with the Portland Sea Dogs at the start of the season, was called up by the Red Sox on Saturday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

NEW YORK — Zach Penrod’s circuitous journey to the major leagues ended just in time for daughter Noa Mae to watch his debut, though she’ll have to watch the video years from now to be reminded of what she saw.

A 27-year-old left-hander who spent parts of three seasons in the independent Pioneer League, Penrod struck out two in a hitless eighth inning for the Boston Red Sox in a 7-1 win over the New York Yankees on Saturday.

Noa Mae, who was born on Sept. 5, watched from the arms of her mom, Kyla, in the Yankee Stadium seats.

“My wife has been there for every step of the way and to share that moment with her was incredible,” Penrod said after posing for photos on the field with his wife and newborn.

Penrod was at home in Massachusetts on Saturday, getting ready to put Noe Mae to bed, when he was told of the promotion by Dan DeLucia, pitching coach of Triple-A Worcester.

“I missed the first one and then I grabbed the second one,” he said of the calls. “I just didn’t recognize the number.”

Penrod started the season with the Portland Sea Dogs. He went 4-0 in seven starts with a 2.80 ERA. He struck out 53 in 35 1/3 innings. He was promoted to Worcester on May 26 and had a 5.93 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings over five starts and 10 relief appearances at Triple-A, missing time between June 6 and July 26 because of left shin inflammation.

He entered after Aaron Judge doubled leading off the eighth. Penrod struck out Austin Wells on a slider, fanned Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a changeup at the knees, walked Jasson Domínguez and retired Anthony Rizzo on a popup that third baseman Rafael Devers juggled.

Penrod threw 26 pitches, 15 of them fastballs that averaged 95.1 mph, along with seven changeups and four sliders.

“Eight days ago, they had a baby, so today’s his second-best day of his life,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said. “That’s the way we presented today. Very calm on the mound, then when he got the third out, he sat down on the dugout and he broke down. He broke down. I mean we had so many stories about that the last few years, independent baseball, released, Tommy John and then they show up to Yankee Stadium and then get three outs. That’s the cool thing about this.”

Penrod played for Corban, an NAIA school in Oregon, in 2017 and then for NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene in Idaho the following year as an outfielder and pitcher. He signed with Texas in August 2018 as an undrafted free agent, missed 2019 following Tommy John surgery and was released in June 2020, a year the minor league season was canceled because of the pandemic.

He spent parts of 2021 and ’22 at Billings, then started 2023 at fellow Pioneer League club Missoula. Boston signed him to a minor league contract on Aug. 16 last year and two days later he pitched five scoreless innings for Class A Greenville.

Penrod had a 2.18 ERA in four starts for the Drive, and Boston sent him to the Arizona Fall League.

He received the ball from the first strikeout, which he’ll give to his parents, and he’ll hang the lineup card at home.

“It’s extremely emotional. I guess it’s been a very long ride,” he said. “So just trying to enjoy it.”

TWINS: Shortstop Carlos Correa, who has been on sidelined since the All-Star break with plantar fasciitis, has been activated from the 10-day injured list and is expected to be in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Correa is hitting .308 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI in 75 games this season. He was chosen to represent the Twins in the All-Star Game but had to bow out due to his injury.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

ROYALS 5, PIRATES 1: Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and Kansas City beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Witt also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. He went 2 for 3 to raise his MLB-leading batting average to .333. He also has 31 homers and 102 RBI.

BLUE JAYS 7, CARDINALS 2: José Berríos pitched seven strong innings to win his seventh straight start, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in his 500th career run and scored twice, and Toronto beat visiting St. Louis.

PHILLIES 6, METS 4: Bryce Harper homered twice, Cal Stevenson hit a two-run, go-ahead double in the seventh and made a run-saving, highlight-reel catch in the eighth and NL East-leading Philadelphia rallied to win at home.