DODGERS NOTEBOOK: COMPATRIOTS MAKE HISTORIC CONNECTION.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

Ryozo Kato, the Japanese ambassador to the United States, attended Saturday's game between the Dodgers and New York Yankees. He picked the right day to come.

It wasn't a monster shot by any means, but in the first inning, Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui got just enough of a split-finger pitch from Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo to wrap it around the right-field foul pole for a three-run homer.

It was, according to Elias Sports Bureau, the first time in major-league history that a Japanese hitter connected off a Japanese pitcher.

Matsui, by his own admission as well as Dodgers manager Jim Tracy's, was badly fooled by the pitch. That it became a three-run homer, giving the Yankees a 4-0 lead, was due to dumb luck and the unusual configuration of the outfield corners at Dodger Stadium.

``All I was trying to do at that point was get the bat on the ball,'' Matsui said through an interpreter. ``He struck me out twice on forkballs later in the game.''

Nomo said he couldn't remember ever facing Matsui, but Matsui said he faced Nomo three times during an exhibition series against major-league stars who visited Japan after the 1996 World Series.

Nomo is six years older than Matsui and beat him to the United States by eight seasons. Their respective careers in Japan did overlap in 1993 and '94, but Nomo pitched for the Kintetsu Buffaloes of the Pacific League and Matsui played for the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League. There is no interleague play during the Japanese regular season.

Nomo said he saw no added significance to facing Matsui.

``Rather than focusing on Matsui, I was looking down their entire lineup,'' Nomo said through an interpreter. ``They're all good hitters.''

Maybe so, but Nomo and Matsui now share a permanent, historical footnote.

--Shuey rehabs: Reliever Paul Shuey will begin his minor-league rehabilitation assignment on Monday with the Dodgers' Rookie-level affiliate in Ogden, Utah.

The rough plan is for Shuey to start Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, pitching one, two and three innings, respectively, before moving on to Triple-A Las Vegas to work out of the bullpen. There still is no timetable for Shuey's return to the big club, but pitchers' rehab assignments are limited to 30 days.

Shuey has been out since the final week of spring training, when he ruptured a tendon in his right thumb during a routine defensive drill.

``I'm always a little more aggressive than (the medical staff), but they say this is a flexible plan, too, so we'll see what happens,'' Shuey said. ``I don't know how I'm going to feel. Hopefully if I feel good, we can move things through. For me, I'm happy with the plan and I'll just follow it.''

There is no sense of urgency for Shuey's return despite the fact he was a key part of the Dodgers' bullpen last season. Barring an injury to another player, there doesn't appear to be an available roster spot. And the bullpen has been fine without Shuey, beginning Saturday with a major league-leading 2.86 ERA.

``It has been a long time since I have faced live hitters,'' Shuey said. ``I need to get my edge back. As soon as I get my edge back, I'll probably be calling (the staff) a lot.''

--Streak ends: Jose Hernandez's eighth-inning throwing error snapped the Dodgers' string of 92 consecutive innings without an error.