A lead-off home run in a baseball game isn't all that rare. A lead off home run on the very first pitch is slightly more unusual, but not a major sporting news event. But when that 1st pitch home run becomes the game winning score, you have got yourself a story. The game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins ended 1-0. A full 9 inning baseball game with a combined 236 pitches thrown, and all of the scoring came from the very first one. The pitch, a 94 mph four-seam fastball from Tom Koehler, sailed over the right field wall in Miami's lavish Marlins Park on Saturday. D-Backs batting coach, Don Baylor, had told Parra to swing at the first pitch. This guy is either a baseball genius or a history buff. There is some signifigance of this 1st pitch HR that eventually became the game winner. The last guy to do it was Pete Rose. Charlie Hustle's first pitch lead-off HR beat the Mets 1-0 back on September 2nd of 1963. 50 years ago.
The Marlins threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the same inning when a line drive to right from Chris Coghlan had Derek Dietrich motoring home from 2nd. The right fielder made an amazing throw to get Dietrich out at the plate. Oh, the right fielder was Gerado Parra.
The winning pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, recorded his 3rd career shut out. It was also his first win since being hit by a line drive and suffering a skull fracture on September 5th of 2012. McCarthy was pitching with the Oakland A's at the time. The ball, hit by LA Angels SS Erick Aybar during the 4th inning, struck McCarthy in the head, and he fell to the ground. He was able to leave under his own power and xrays showed the fracture.
The Marlins and D-Backs played again Sunday, with the marlins winning 2-1. Parra's first at bat was a swinging strike out on 4 pitches, he went 0-4 on the day.
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