Hideki Matsui isn’t the hitter he was during his prime with the Yankees, but you wouldn’t know that from his recent appearances at Yankee Stadium.
After blasting a seventh-inning shot into the right field seats yesterday in the Athletics’ 4-3 win, the former Yankee has homered in four of his last five games in The Bronx.
And although his blast against Boone Logan to lead off the seventh provided the Athletics with a critical run, the fans still gave Matsui a loud ovation.
“I did notice it, but I think they made a mistake,” Matsui said through a translator after his homer gave the A’s a 4-2 lead. “I think they must have thought the Yankees scored.”
Nevertheless, he appreciated the recognition.
“I was here such a long time, they all have a very special place [for me],” Matsui said of the fans, who saw him hit 140 homers as a Yankee.
The fans’ reaction didn’t get by Logan, either.
“I know the fans loved him here,” Logan said. “He’s done a lot for this organization. At least they weren’t booing me.”
The run allowed by Logan was the first surrendered by the bullpen since July 16, snapping a 16 2/3-inning scoreless stretch against Yankees relievers.
“[Logan] has been throwing the ball great against lefties,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He just didn’t get the ball down.”
Logan regretted his pitch selection after the game.
“I thought he might be ambushing and he was,” Logan said of Matsui’s approach — looking for a first-pitch fastball. “I tried to throw a fastball down and away. It ended up down the middle and he took advantage of it.”
Matsui had struggled against Logan in the past, carrying a .111 (1-for-9) average with two strikeouts against the lefty. Logan, however, has changed his approach against Matsui recently.
“The last couple of times I got him out with heaters,” Logan said. “Earlier in my career, I got him out with sliders.”
It was the 501st homer of Matsui’s career — combining his stats from Japan and the majors. He’s the first player to reach a combined 500 homers.
Though Matsui proved by going 2-for-5 he’s still dangerous — especially in The Bronx — he’s hitting just .224 this year.
“It took me a month to get 500 [home runs], but 501 just took two days,” said Matsui, who went through a 24-game homerless drought, his longest in four years, before reaching the milestone Wednesday at Detroit. “Hopefully, that will continue.”