Matt Stairs hits record 21st PH HR
MILWAUKEE -- Matt Stairs has hit his 21st homer as a pinch-hitter, the most in big league history.
Stairs connected on a two-run shot in the eighth inning of the San Diego Padres' 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night, passing Cliff Johnson for most pinch-hit homers.
Padres manager Bud Black said the record is very special. He called the pinch-hitter role one of the most difficult in baseball.
Stairs has 262 home runs in a career that began with the Montreal Expos in 1992. His most famous homer as a pinch-hitter came with two outs in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the 2008 National League championship series. His two-run drive lifted the Phillies to a 7-5 victory over the Dodgers.
Johnson played from 1972-1986.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
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