A look at every HR during Trout's streak
CLEVELAND - - Angels superstar Mike Trout’s elite power has been on full display recently, and it’s helped him make history, as he became just the ninth player to homer in seven consecutive games with his two-run blast against the Guardians on Monday.
After going 0-for-3 with a walk at Progressive Field on Tuesday, Trout's streak ended just one game away from the record of homering in eight straight games set by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly ('87) and Ken Griffey Jr. ('93). Joey Votto, Kendrys Morales, Kevin Mench, Barry Bonds and Jim Thome are the only other players to homer in seven consecutive games.
Within his terrific run, Trout -- a three-time AL MVP and 10-time All-Star -- topped the club record of five straight games with a homer, which was previously held by Bobby Bonds, and his own personal previous best of four straight games with a homer, which he had accomplished two times.
Here’s a look at all of Trout’s homers over his incredible stretch:
Date: Sept. 4
Opposition: Astros
Pitcher: RHP Brandon Bielak
Inning: Bottom eighth
Count: 2-1 fastball
Trout’s homer streak started innocently enough, when he connected on a fastball from Bielak in the eighth inning of an 8-1 loss to the Astros at Angel Stadium. It was Trout’s first homer since Aug. 28, as he said he was working to get his timing back after returning on Aug. 19 after missing just a little more than a month with his back/rib cage injury.
Date: Sept. 5
Opposition: Tigers
Pitcher: LHP Tyler Alexander
Inning: Bottom fifth
Count: 1-2 changeup
Trout reached 30 homers on the season with his solo blast off Alexander to lead off the fifth inning in a 10-0 rout over the Tigers. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani also went deep twice in the game. It gave Trout his club-record seventh season with at least 30 homers.
"I feel pretty good,” Trout said. “Just being out there with the guys and getting at-bats every day has been big for me. I feel fine, I feel great."
Date: Sept. 6
Opposition: Tigers
Pitcher: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Inning: Bottom first
Count: 0-0 fastball
Trout set the tone early with his solo shot off Rodriguez in the first inning of a 5-4 win over the Tigers. Trout jumped all over a first-pitch fastball and was one of three Angels to homer in the game, as Mike Ford and Jo Adell also went deep.
"I've been getting good pitches to hit and putting some good swings on them,” Trout said. “I'm starting to get some timing back. Still missing some pitches, but I've hit some balls hard."
Date: Sept. 7
Opposition: Tigers
Pitcher: RHP Will Vest
Inning: Bottom fifth
Count: 2-2
Trout kept his streak alive with a solo homer in the fourth inning to give the Angels a 2-1 lead, but they couldn’t hold it in a 5-4 loss in the series finale. Ohtani also homered in the seventh inning, marking the eight time the duo had homered in the same game this season and the 22nd time since they became teammates in 2018.
“A lot of people, especially the last couple of days, they’re saying we're pushing each other for the [team] home run lead,” Trout said. “I think that’s pretty cool. I'm not trying to go up there and hit a home run, and he isn't, either. It’s just having good at-bats and putting good swings on balls.”
Date: Sept. 9
Opposition: Astros
Pitcher: RHP Lance McCullers Jr.
Inning: Top sixth
Count: 0-1 sinker
Trout opened the scoring up with a two-run homer off McCullers in the sixth inning of an eventual 4-3 loss in the series opener at Minute Maid Park. His homer helped him tie the Angels franchise record for consecutive games with a homer set by Bobby Bonds from Aug. 2-7, 1977.
“It’s pretty cool,” Trout said. “I think any time you can tie or break any franchise record for doing something, it’s cool.”
Date: Sept. 10
Opposition: Astros
Pitcher: RHP José Urquidy
Inning: Top second
Count: 0-1
Trout set the franchise mark by homering in his sixth straight game with a three-run blast off Urquidy in the second inning of a 6-1 win over the Astros. Ohtani also pitched in the game, allowing one run over five innings before coming out with a minor blister.
“It’s pretty cool to accomplish that,” Trout said. “I was just trying to prepare myself to make the right swing and time it. I have to take this momentum and keep it going the rest of the year.”
Date: Sept. 12
Opposition: Guardians
Pitcher: LHP Konnor Pilkington
Inning: Top fifth
Count: 0-0 fastball
After being held out of the lineup on Sunday, Trout returned on Monday against the Guardians and became just the ninth player in AL/NL history to homer in seven straight games with a two-run shot off Pilkington in the fifth inning of an eventual 5-4 loss. It also helped Trout overtake Ohtani for the team lead in homers and marked his fifth career season with 35 homers.
“It just happens,” Trout said when asked if he thinks about the homer streak. “I just let it go. Try to have a good at-bat and get a good pitch to hit. I think about it after it happens, like you realize [the streak] is still going. But other than that, I don’t think about it.”