Zink

PAWTUCKET — Charlie Zink savored his first grand latte in the big leagues Tuesday night with the Boston Red Sox and can’t wait to return for another.

The knuckleballer was back with the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium last night, signing autographs at a table in front of the visitors’ bullpen on Team Poster Night, thanking well-wishers for their encouragement and smiling for photos.

One would never have known that after retiring three All-Stars in order in the first inning the night before, Zink allowed 11 hits and eight runs before Red Sox manager Terry Francona took the ball from him with one out in the fifth.

“The experience was amazing,” he said while scrawling his name on posters, caps, shoes and balls. “I wasn’t that nervous, like I thought I’d be. I was able to compose myself and felt under control the whole time.”

Zink’s major-league debut after seven-plus seasons in the minors was memorable because the Red Sox blew a 10-run first-inning lead and still rallied for a wild 19-17 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

“I look at the bottom line,” Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said. “Charlie went to the big leagues and we won the game, whether it was 19-17 or 2-1. We won the game. Whatever level you want to evaluate it, it worked out good.”

Zink gave himself a shot of confidence when he set second baseman Ian Kinsler, shortstop Michael Young and center fielder Josh Hamilton down in order in the first.

“I was like, gee, I just got out three All-Stars,” he said. “I made it through that and didn’t really think about anything else after that. I just kept doing what I do and throw strikes … same thing I’ve been doing all year.”

Ground balls that found holes and timely Texas hits ultimately did Zink in, but he lost his edge in the bottom of the first while sitting through Boston’s 10-run barrage. He even went into the batting cage twice to throw to stay warm.

“After sitting that long, I didn’t feel like I was in a groove anymore. I just didn’t feel quite as comfortable,” he said.

He gave up a two-run single in the second inning and got out of the third and fourth innings unscathed. The Rangers hit him hard in the fifth, and he threw a wild pitch, the combination leading to his exit.

Zink learned a few things during his brief visit to Fenway.

“It was so much fun pitching in that atmosphere. It’s so exciting. It’s amazing,” he said.

He also learned that as skilled as big-league hitters are, they don’t hit every mistake a pitcher makes.

“You don’t have to be perfect. I hung a changeup high to [Frank] Catalanotto, and he popped it up. I hung a slider to Kinsler to lead off the game, and he flew out to the outfield. It was just eye-opening to get that first hitter. I gave him a 2-0 count and got him to pop up to the outfield, and that’s an All-Star second baseman,” he said.

“I made some mistakes with two strikes and learned that when you do that with those hitters, you’re not going to get away with it,” he added.

His jump from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Pawtucket in 2005 was more intimidating, he said, because Double A is loaded with prospects, whereas Triple A has players with major-league experience.

Francona had not seen Zink pitch since spring training in 2004, and he told the right-hander that he had a future with the organization.

“From everything I heard from Tito, (Zink) was very professional, he was very composed, he battled his butt off, he competed, and that’s all you can ask in that situation,” Johnson said.

Zink knows what to expect if Boston recalls him and said the next time his life won’t be so hectic with ticket requests from family and friends. Buddies from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where Zink is working on a master’s degree in architecture, flew up for Zink’s debut. He sent them back with autographs for the college president.

“Now I’m already getting phone calls asking me to donate money,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t think they realize that I’m not a millionaire.”

mszostak@projo.com