SAN DIEGO -- Kazuo Matsui of the New York Mets hit an
inside-the-park home run on Thursday night, the third straight year
he's homered in his first at-bat of the season.
Matsui was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the
game. He opened the season on the DL with a sprained ligament in
his right knee.
Leading off the second inning, Matsui hit a fly ball off Padres
ace Jake Peavy that glanced off the glove of retreating right
fielder Brian Giles, bounced off a sign on the fence and rolled
along the fence toward the right-center gap.
The relay throw arrived at the plate just as Matsui did, but
catcher Mike Piazza couldn't hold onto the ball.
It was Matsui's first career inside-the-park homer, and the
first by a Mets player since Marlon Anderson did it against the Los
Angeles Angels last June 11.
As a rookie in 2004, Matsui became the second player in big
league history to hit his first home run in his first at-bat while
leading off a game to start a season.
Ken Griffey Jr. was the last player to accomplish the feat
homering on his first at-bat of the season in 1997, 1998 and 1999,
according to the Elias Sports Bureau.