Blue Jays shortstop Munenori Kawasaki hit his first career home run in the seventh inning of tonight’s game against the Orioles. It was a two-run shot to right field off of Tommy Hunter that tied the game at six apiece. After rounding the bases and getting a round of high-fives in the dugout, his teammates pushed him back out into the field so he could acknowledge a raucous Toronto crowd. Kawasaki meekly emerged and politely bowed in several directions.
You may remember Kawasaki when he gave one of the best post-game interviews in baseball history after helping the Jays walk off victorious on May 26.
Kawasaki had entered the night with baseball’s second-longest career homerless streak among active non-pitchers, having racked up 287 plate appearances without going yard. Phillies outfielder Ben Revere leads the pack, by far, with 1,315.
Here’s the full list of players with a streak of at least 100 PA:
| Rk | Player | PA | HR | From | To | Age | Tm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Revere | 1315 | 0 | 2010 | 2013 | 22-25 | MIN-PHI |
| 2 | Munenori Kawasaki | 287 | 0 | 2012 | 2013 | 31-32 | SEA-TOR |
| 3 | J.B. Shuck | 239 | 0 | 2011 | 2013 | 24-26 | HOU-LAA |
| 4 | Chase d’Arnaud | 157 | 0 | 2011 | 2012 | 24-25 | PIT |
| 5 | Justin Christian | 155 | 0 | 2008 | 2012 | 28-32 | NYY-SFG |
| 6 | Robbie Grossman | 131 | 0 | 2013 | 2013 | 23-23 | HOU |
| 7 | Chris Marrero | 127 | 0 | 2011 | 2013 | 22-24 | WSN |
| 8 | Jesus Feliciano | 119 | 0 | 2010 | 2010 | 31-31 | NYM |
| 9 | Jordan Brown | 106 | 0 | 2010 | 2013 | 26-29 | CLE-MIA |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 6/21/2013.
The Jays, by the way, walked off in the ninth on an RBI single by Rajai Davis. The 7-6 victory was the Jays’ ninth in a row, bringing them to .500 as they continue to gain ground in the AL East. As recently as June 10, the Jays were 12 games behind the first-place Red Sox. After the Sox wrap up their victory over the Orioles, the Jays will be a mere seven games behind.
Update (10:45 PM) -- Had to add this in here:
Kawasaki on outpouring of affection from the crowd: “Very happy. Appreciate. Yeah. Thank you appreciate.”
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) June 22, 2013
