Green has an Angels debut to remember

ANAHEIM -- Grant Green's single up the middle in the second inning of Tuesday night's 8-3 loss to the Rangers was special for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it was Green's first career Major League hit and it came in his first at-bat with his new team, as Green was traded from Oakland to Anaheim on July 30.

But perhaps even more meaningful than simply recording his first career hit, was doing it in a stadium he used to frequent as a kid.

"It was awesome," Green said. "I had a lot of family and friends that were in attendance. It was the first time my grandpa came to a game. He was feeling a little sick when Oakland came here after the All-Star break so it was the first game my grandpa and grandma saw."

Green went to Canyon High School in Anaheim, played baseball at the University of Southern California and said he had 76 congratulatory text messages waiting for him when he checked his phone after the game.

The infielder had a hit in each of his first two at-bats with the Angels, but his first stint in the Major Leagues was not quite as successful.

In five games with the Athletics, Green went 0-for-15 and after persevering through that, he is happy to finally have a batting average.

"It was a huge relief because when all that stuff happened in Oakland, every interview I had was 'when are you going to get the first one' and that question got kind of tiring, always hearing it and people making jokes. Huge relief, was able to start relaxing a little more and just start playing the game."