Felix hits grand slam; gets injured

Felix experiences a high, then low
Righty hits grand slam, leaves in fifth with sprained ankle
By Jim Street / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Two pitches thrown in Monday night's Interleague series opener between the Mariners and Mets provided the definitive highlight and potential low point of the season for Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez, who left in the fifth with a sprained left ankle.

Hernandez's first swing of the season, the first pitch he saw from Mets left-hander John Santana in the second inning, produced a franchise first for a pitcher -- a home run. A grand slam, of all things.

After a two-out error by third baseman David Wright loaded the bases, Hernandez stepped into the batter's box at Shea Stadium and drove the pitch over the fence in right-center field for his first career home run.

Hernandez slapped his hands after watching the ball go over the wall, and he shifted into his never-before-used home run trot, which took awhile for him to make it around the bases.

The three runners on base at the time -- Adrian Beltre, Jeff Clement and Willie Bloomquist -- were at home plate to greet him, and Hernandez received high-fives, backslaps and handshakes when he went into the visiting dugout.

Three innings later, Hernandez was being carried into the same dugout.

Hernandez was one strike away from ending the fifth inning, holding a 5-0 lead, when he threw a pitch into the dirt. The ball bounced far enough away from Clement for Carlos Beltran to try to score the Mets' first run.

Hernandez rushed in to cover the plate, and he arrived at the same time as the runner. Beltran slid hard into Hernandez.

He was administered on the field by the Mariners medical staff, insisted on continuing, and he threw one practice pitch -- then hobbled off the mound in obvious pain.

As for the home run, it was the first grand slam by an American League pitcher since Cleveland's Steve Dunning hit one against the Athletics on May 11, 1971. That slam was hit off right-hander Diego Segui, who six years later would throw the first pitch in Mariners franchise history.

There have now been 14 home runs by AL pitchers in Interleague Play, including two this season, the other being hit by Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia.

Before Monday, the Mariners had been one of five AL teams without a home run by a pitcher. Now the Angels, Twins, Yankees and Athletics are on the short list.

Here's the grand slam: click

Too bad they won't let you embed these

Why couldn't Verlander do this yesterday?

(The grand slam part, not the injury)