Ex-Star blasts into record book

Thursday, April 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

With two outs in the fifth, Hermanson hit his homer over the left-field fence off Shane Reynolds.

"Obviously it was a special game for me," Hermanson said. "The first hit, first home run, and to do it in my first at-bat. It hasn't really sunk in."

Hermanson was just the 12th major-league pitcher to accomplish the feat.

Asked what he thought about when he stepped into the batter's box, Hermanson said: "Don't look stupid. I just wanted to go up there and have fun. It would have been fun for me even if I'd have struck out."

The last pitcher to homer in his first at-bat was the Expos' Jim Bullinger, who did it while he was with the Chicago Cubs on June 8, 1992.

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