NEW YORK (AP) – Felix Hernandez hit the first grand slam by an American League pitcher in 37 years when the Seattle Mariners ace connected Monday night off Johan Santana of the New York Mets.
With two outs in the second inning, Hernandez took a healthy hack at Santana’s first pitch and drove an opposite-field shot over the right-center fence to give Seattle a 4-0 lead.
It was the first home run by a pitcher in Mariners history, and the first slam by an AL hurler since Cleveland’s Steve Dunning connected off Oakland’s Diego Segui on May 11, 1971, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
That was two years before the American League began playing with a designated hitter – and six years before the Mariners’ expansion season of 1977.
The last National League pitcher to hit a grand slam also did it at Shea Stadium. Dontrelle Willis, then with Florida, accomplished the feat against the Mets on July 7, 2006.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Hernandez clapped his hands while rounding first base as the ball cleared the fence. The home run came in his first plate appearance of the season and made him 2-for-9 with five RBIs and six strikeouts in his major league career.
Just before Hernandez connected, an error by Mets third baseman David Wright extended the inning.
His next time up, Hernandez dropped down a successful sacrifice bunt.
Interestingly, Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre also hit a grand slam while pitching in the big leagues. He did it on July 20, 1965, an inside-the-park slam at Yankee Stadium against Boston.
Add A Comment