ST. LOUIS — Everything about Lane Thomas' first major league at-bat was unique.
Entering as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, Thomas took an 0-1 pitch from New York Mets reliever Seth Lugo deep to right field, where it looked to have the distance to go out.
Thomas didn't think it was a home run at first, and neither did the umpiring crew.
"I didn't think so at first," Thomas said. "I rounded first and got to second and saw it bounce, so I was like, who knows and stopped at third. I didn't think it was out, my heart was beating a little quick so I don't even know what I was thinking then."
After a brief review, the umpires confirmed what fans in the right field seats knew already. Lane Thomas had hit a home run in his first at-bat in the major leagues.
"It was pretty surreal," Thomas said. "That's the stuff you dream about as a kid".
Thomas is just the tenth Cardinals player in history to homer in his first major league at-bat.
He joins Eddie Morgan (1936), Wally Moon (1954), Keith McDonald (2000), Chris Richard (2000), Gene Stechsshulte (2001), Hector Luna (2004), Adam Wainwrght (2006), Mark Worrell (2008) and Paul DeJong (2017) as Cardinals to homer in their first major league at-bat.
DeJong was actually the last player in baseball to accomplish the feat, before Thomas did it Friday night.
Thomas is no stranger to the long ball.
Last year between Springfield and Memphis the outfielder hit 27 home runs and drove in 88 runs in 132 games.