Dissecting Phillies 3-homer games
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In the Phillies’ 141 seasons, there have been 23 times in which three home runs have been hit in a game. Well, that is through Sept. 11 of this year.
Of that number, only three players have done it twice, Johnny Callison, Mike Schmidt and Kyle Schwarber, the only one to do it in the same season, 2024. Can he do it a third time this season?
Only once has it been done multiple times in the same season. We’re living it this year.
Twice, a grand slam was included. Once, the three homers produced a 3-0 win. Four times, the Phillies lost. September had the most, seven, including the last three at-bats in a season finale for a famous right-handed slugger.
Ground-rule doubles were actually home runs as recently as 1930. Yes, any ball that bounced off the ground and over the fence was ruled a home run. We don’t know it applied to any of the three Phillies during this time span.
The Pioneer
John (Jack) Manning -- a 5-foot-8 right fielder, pitcher and first baseman -- has the honor of being the first in a 16-7 thumping.
On Oct. 9, 1884, when his Philadelphia ballclub was visiting the Chicago White Stockings in Lakeshore Park, the 30-year-old hit three home runs in the same game, becoming the third player ever to do so. Ned Williamson and Cap Anson had done it earlier in the same park the same year.
His five led Philadelphia that season. As a member of the first Phillies team in 1883, he hit none in 98 games.
The Phillies media guides list the three as consecutive. Verifying that is difficult. Reached out to Dave Smith of Retrosheet.org for assistance.His response, “Although we are working on the 19th century, progress there is very difficult and slow, so I cannot give an authoritative response.”
The Others
Walt (Butch) Henline, C, 9/15/1922 vs. STL
3 H, 5 AB, 6 RBI. Led off the bottom of the 9th with his third, a game-tying homer; LF Cliff Lee followed with game-winning HR. 10-9.
*Cy Williams, CF, 5/11/1923 vs. STL
3 H, 5 AB, 7 RBI. 20-14 win.
*John Moore, LF, consecutive, 7/22/1936 vs. PIT
4 H, 5 AB, 6 RBI. 3rd, 4th and 7th innings. 16-4 win.
Andy Seminick, C, 6/2/1949 vs. CIN
3 H, 4 AB, 5 RBI. 2 HR came in 10-run B8. 12-3 win.
Del Wilber, C, consecutive, 8/27/1951 (G2) vs. CIN
3 H, 3 AB, 3 RBI. 3rd, 5th, 7th innings; 3-0 win.
Del Ennis, LF, 7/23/1955 vs. STL
3 H, 4 AB, 7 RBI. 7-2 win.
Don Demeter, CF, 9/12/1961 at LAD
4 H, 5 AB, 7 RBI. 19-10 win over Sandy Koufax.
*Johnny Callison, RF, consecutive, 9/27/1964 vs MIL
3 H, 5 AB, 4 RBI. 6th, 8th, 9th innings. 14-8 loss.
*Johnny Callison, RF, 6/6/1965 (G2) at CC
4 H, 5 AB, 4 RBI. 10-9 win.
Dick Allen, LF, consecutive, 9/29/1968 at NYM
3 H, 4 AB, 7 RBI. 6th, 8th, 9th (slam) innings; final 3 AB of season. 10-3 win.
Deron Johnson, 1B, consecutive, 7/11/1971 vs. MTL
3 H, 5 AB, 5 RBI. 2nd, 3rd, 6th innings. 11-5 win.
Mike Schmidt, 3B, consecutive, 7/7/1979 vs. SF
3 H, 4 AB, 5 RBI. 2nd, 3rd, 6th innings. 8-6 loss.
Mike Schmidt, 3B, consecutive, 6/14/1987 at MTL
3 H, 4 AB, 6 RBI. 3rd, 6th, 7th innings. 11-6 win.
*Von Hayes, RF, 8/29/1989 at SF
3 H, 4 AB, 6 RBI. 6-1 win.
Benito Santiago, C, consecutive, 9/15/1996 at CC
3 H, 3 AB, 6 RBI. 2nd, walk, 6th, 8th. 6-1 win
Bobby Estalella, C, 9/4/1997 at MTL
3 H, 4 AB, 4 RBI. 6-4 win.
Mike Lieberthal, C, consecutive, 8/10/2002 at LAD
4 H, 5 AB, 4 RBI. 4th, 6th, 7th. 10-8 loss.
*Ryan Howard, 1B, consecutive, 9/3/2006 (G1) vs. ATL
4 H, 4 AB, 4 RBI. 2nd, 3rd, 6th. 8-7 win.
Jayson Werth, CF, consecutive 5/16/2008 vs. TOR
3 H, 4 B, 8 RBI. 2nd, 3rd, 5th. 10-3 win.
*Brad Miller, 1B, consecutive 7/8/2021 at CC
3 H, 5 AB, 5 RBI. 3rd, 5th, 7th. 8-0 win.
*Bryce Harper,1B, 4/2/2024 vs. CIN
3 H, 4 AB, 6 RBI. 3rd HR (slam) 7th inning. 9-4 win.
*Kyle Schwarber, DH, 8/7/2024 at LAD
4 H, 4 AB, 7 RBI. 9-4 win.
*Kyle Schwarber, DH, 9/3/2024 at TOR
5 H, 6 AB, 6 RBI. 10-9 win.
*Left-handed hitter