Best A's hitting performances in a game

OAKLAND -- Since the A’s were formed in 1901, there have been a bevy of spectacular performances from the many legends to play during the club’s stints in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland. Such Hall of Famers as Jimmie Foxx and Reggie Jackson left their mark years ago, while current stars like Khris Davis and Matt Chapman might not be done contributing their share of eye-opening accomplishments.

Let’s take a look at the top five single-game hitting performances in A’s history:

1) Khris Davis: May 17, 2016 vs. Rangers
There have been plenty of three-homer performances in A’s history -- 28, to be exact -- but the manner in which left fielder Davis accomplished his three-homer game put him in rare company. Playing a night game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in an 8-5 victory, Davis’ third long ball came off Shawn Tolleson in the ninth for a walk-off grand slam. The rarity was that Davis became just the second player in Major League history to hit three homers in a game with the third being a walk-off grand slam. Joey Votto accomplished the feat in 2012.

Earlier in that game, Davis took Cole Hamels deep for solo shots in the second and sixth innings to finish with a career-high six RBIs. The celebration after the walk-off was almost as good as the homer that sailed deep into the left-field bleachers, with Davis stopping about 10 feet before home plate to toss his helmet into the group of teammates awaiting him as if it were a basketball shot.

"I've had that in the back of my head since last year, and I finally got the chance to do it. It was a swish, by the way,” Davis said of the celebration. “It was an amazing feeling. I knew in the back of my head I was going to get the job done going up to the plate. I surprised myself."

This was just a small part of an impressive first season with the A’s that saw Davis blast 42 home runs with 102 RBIs.

2) Reggie Jackson: June 14, 1969 at Red Sox
The 1969 campaign was one of Jackson’s finest in his Hall of Fame career, as the right fielder was at one point in the season on pace to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61. On this June afternoon at Fenway Park, Jackson was a run-producing machine, going 5-for-6 with 10 RBIs in a 21-7 blowout. The 10 RBIs remain the A’s single-game record, and the feat by Mr. October on that day included a pair of two-run homers, a three-run bloop single, a two-run single and an RBI ground-rule double.

3) Jimmie Foxx: July 10, 1932 at Indians
There have been a total of seven six-hit performances in A’s history, and Foxx is the owner of two of those. The first baseman’s feat at Cleveland Stadium in 1932 was the most spectacular of the bunch. Not only did Foxx collect six hits, but three of those were home runs. It was a single by Foxx in the top of the 18th inning that led to him scoring the deciding run in a thrilling 18-17 win. Foxx finished the marathon going 6-for-9 with three home runs, a double and eight RBIs.

4) Jimmie Foxx: Aug. 14, 1933 at Indians
It seems that Foxx had a knack for beating up on Cleveland. One year after his six-hit, three-homer performance, Foxx returned to Cleveland Stadium and hit for the cycle while collecting nine RBIs, which at the time was an American League record. Four of Foxx’s RBIs came on a grand slam off Willis Hudlin in the second inning of the A’s 11-5 victory. Getting the triple and home run out of the way early, Foxx completed the cycle in the sixth with a single.

5) Matt Chapman: Aug. 10, 2020 at Angels
Chapman was ultimately one-upped in this one at Angel Stadium by Mike Trout, whose go-ahead solo homer in the eighth inning secured a 10-9 victory for the Angels. That doesn’t diminish the greatness of this performance by the A’s third baseman. Setting a career high with six RBIs, Chapman went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and a triple. He became the first A’s player to hit at least two homers and a triple in a game since Mitchell Page on Aug. 29, 1977.