Baseball: Mets pitcher Colon hits first homer at 42

Los Angeles: New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to hit his first career home run, blasting a two-run shot in the second inning against the Padres in San Diego on Saturday.

Colon, three weeks shy of his 43rd birthday, sent a 1-1 pitch from Padres starting pitcher James Shields into the left field bleachers in his 226th career at-bat to give the Mets a 4-0 lead en route to a 6-3 victory.

His teammates left the Mets’ dugout as he trotted around the bases, then returned to celebrate with him.

All of Colon’s three career extra-base hits have come in his three seasons with the Mets.

Randy Johnson previously held the title of oldest player to hit his first home run, doing so at age 40 on September 19, 2003, when he pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

On the mound Colon gave up three runs, six hits and a walk and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings before departing the contest.