Batting leadoff for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night against the Houston Astros in his major-league debut, left fielder Starling Marte made quite the first impression. The rookie from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic launched a home run to deep left center field on the first pitch he saw, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning at Minute Maid Park.
Here's a photo of Marte at the plate, courtesy of the team's official Twitter account.
Click on the link here for video of Marte's first-inning, leadoff home run.
He had previously hit 12 home runs this season while with the Indianapolis Indians, the Bucs' Triple-A affiliate. He had also driven in 62 RBIs in Indianapolis, hitting .286.
Since, the Pirates grabbed a 5-0 after a pair of two-run homers from Garrett Jones and Clint Barmes.
For the latest on the Bucs, be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh and check out Bucs Dugout, SB Nation's Pittsburgh Pirates blog.