Braves make 3-homer-game history
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Asked what it meant to be part of something never previously achieved in Major League history, Adam Duvall’s response included him saying, “If you look around, you can tell how long this stadium has been here.”
Nope. This accomplishment extended far beyond Fenway Park’s storied history.
What Duvall did not immediately realize is that by producing his first career three-homer game in the Braves' 7-5 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday night, he and Marcell Ozuna became a part of baseball history.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, they are the only MLB teammates to ever produce three-homer performances in consecutive games. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are the only other teammates to produce three-homer games on consecutive days. But because a doubleheader was involved, these Yankees legends actually did so within a span of four games played between May 21, and 22, 1930.
“Wow, that’s pretty neat,” Duvall said after the distinction was explained to him. “That’s pretty cool.”
Ozuna became the first National League player to ever hit three home runs in a game at Fenway on Tuesday night. Having that distinction alone lasted all of about 24 hours, or more precisely until Duvall capped his trifecta with an eighth-inning solo homer off Ryan Brasier.
“I asked [if it was a record] when we came in [the clubhouse],” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We were talking about it in the dugout and thinking if it has happened, it’s not that much.”
Three-homer games in and of themselves are a rarity. There have been a total of just 25 in Braves history. Duvall and Ozuna accounted for eight percent of that total within a span of 24 hours.
“When I was coming around third [after my last homer], I saw [Ozuna] and his reaction and it was pretty cool,” Duvall said. “Then we got in here and talked about what we just did. It’s super cool. It’s definitely something to take a moment and enjoy it.”
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As the Braves swept this three-game series, they saw Ozuna and Duvall combine for eight home runs in 28 at-bats. Ozuna’s go-ahead seventh-inning solo shot off Andrew Triggs proved to be the decisive blow in this series finale.
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Duvall and Ozuna became the first pair of opponents to ever hit at least four homers each in a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, which opened back in 1912, when the Braves stood as Boston’s other big league team.
“The big guys who are strong like that, that’s what happens, when they get on a run like this,” Snitker said.
Duvall hit two-run homers during the second and sixth innings to secure his sixth career multi-homer game. His plan to go up to the plate not thinking about hitting a third was thwarted by a bat boy.
“When I was on deck, he said, “Are you going for the trifecta?'” Duvall said. “I didn’t even want to think about it. So I just laughed it off and didn’t get too deep into it.”
This has been a memorable season for Duvall, who opted to play this year despite being at a higher risk as a Type-1 diabetic. The former All-Star, who spent much of 2019 at the Triple-A level, has tallied eight homers and produced an .816 OPS while helping the Braves sit atop the National League East standings.
“I’m happy,” Snitker said. “He’s an easy guy to pull for.”