NEW YORK, June 23 (UPI) -- Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez hit a grand slam against the New York Mets Monday and later left the game with an ankle injury.
Hernandez got his first major league homer the second inning to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead. He left with Seattle ahead 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
It was the first home run by a Mariners pitcher and the first grand slam by an American League pitcher since Cleveland's Steve Dunning hit one against Oakland May 11, 1971.
In the fifth inning, with Carlos Beltran on third and two outs, Hernandez threw a wild pitch with Ramon Castro batting. The ball got by catcher Jeff Clement. Hernandez attempted to cover home, but Beltran slid and twisted Hernandez's ankle.
After trying to throw a practice pitch, Hernandez had to be helped off the field.
Hernandez has a 6-5 record with a 2.87 ERA. He had won each of his last four starts with a 0.95 earned run average in that span.
