Ishikawa collects first Major League hit

By CASEY OLSON

The Mirror

Federal Way High School graduate Travis Ishikawa is back to reality today after a three-day dream-come-true earlier this week.

Ishikawa returned to the starting lineup for the Class AA Connecticut Defenders this weekend after spending three days in “The Show” with the San Francisco Giants.

The 21-year-old Ishikawa got a pair of pinch-hit appearances in games against the Arizona Diamondbacks and picked up his first Major League hit with a single in his second big league at-bat Wednesday night.

Ishikawa was called up to the Major Leagues by the Giants on Sunday to take the roster spot of starting first baseman Lance Niekro while he was on bereavement leave. Ishikawa received word of his promotion on the team’s off day in Trenton, N.J. on Easter Sunday, and immediately flew out to Arizona to join the Giants for Monday night’s game. He made his Major League debut Tuesday, pinch-hitting for pitcher Jack Taschner to lead things off in the top of the seventh inning. Ishikawa swung at the first Major League pitch he saw from Diamondbacks righty Casey Daigle, and grounded out to shortstop.

But Ishikawa had better success the second time around Wednesday night. He pinch-hit again to lead off the eighth inning against Arizona ace, Brandon Webb. After taking the first pitch for a strike, Ishikawa swung at the second pitch and singled to rightfield. He moved to second on a Randy Winn single, took third on a flyout by Omar Vizquel, and scored his first run on a Steve Finley single.

Ishikawa played in eight of the first nine games of the season for the Defenders and was enjoying great success. He was hitting .323 with one home run and five RBIs at the time of his promotion. Ishikawa became the 17th player since 2003 (when the franchise became a San Francisco affiliate) to see time in the big leagues with the Giants, and the first-ever Connecticut Defender to play in “The Show.”

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com

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