Cubs Vault: Kingman hits three homers in 45-run game

March 10th, 2022

MLB.com is digging back into its massive video vault to uncover classic plays that you have loved, forgotten about or, perhaps, are discovering for the very first time. Watch these moments and many, many more on the MLB Vault YouTube page.

May 17, 1979: Kingman's three shots
In one of the wildest games in Cubs history, Chicago traded blows with the Phillies in what ended as a 23-22, 10-inning win for Philadelphia. Within that onslaught of offense, Cubs slugger Dave Kingman blasted a trio of home runs and collected six RBIs along the way. Kingman slugged a three-run shot off Randy Lerch in the first, a two-run shot off Doug Bird in the fourth and then a solo homer off Ron Reed in the sixth. That third blast was one of those classic Wrigley Field shots. The baseball soared over the bleachers to Waveland Avenue and then kept bouncing down Kenmore Avenue as fans gave chase.

Aug. 26, 1972: Santo homers for 2,000th hit
Santo headed into the Aug. 26, 1972, game against the Giants sitting on 1,998 hits. In a wild contest that ended with a 10-9, 10-inning win for the North Siders -- courtesy of a walk-off hit-by-pitch with Joe Pepitone batting -- Santo collected his 2,000th hit in style. As part of a 4-for-5 performance, Santo launched a three-run homer in the third inning for his milestone moment. He added a solo shot in the sixth inning.

May 6, 1998: Wood K's 20 after first pitch hits ump
What Kerry Wood accomplished on May 6 in his 1998 rookie season will forever be a part of baseball lore. Kid K took the mound at the Friendly Confines and struck out 20 Astros in one of the game's all-time great pitching performances. One pitch that does not often make the remember-when highlights is the first one Wood fired that afternoon. The hard-throwing righty uncorked a fastball that had serious movement, not only missing the bat of Craig Biggio, but also the glove of catcher Sandy Martinez. The baseball hit home-plate umpire Jerry Meals square in the facemask. The umpire shook it off and continued on, but it was an early look at the type of unpredictable nature of Wood's pitches in a start destined for the record books.

July 2, 1972: Santo starts around-the-horn triple play
Ron Santo's five Gold Glove Awards were a testament to his skill at the hot corner, where he established himself as one of baseball's top all-around third basemen en route to the Hall of Fame. On July 2, 1972, Santo's quick glove, quick feet and quick thinking ignited a swift triple play against the Pirates. In the seventh inning in Pittsburgh, Manny Sanguillen hit a sharp grounder up the third-base line with runners on first and second. Santo snagged the chopper, hustled to third for a forceout and then teamed with second baseman Glenn Beckert and first baseman Jim Hickman for a 5-4-3 triple play. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, the Cubs have turned 40 triple plays in their franchise's history.

May 2, 1988: No. 1 out of 2,201
It was the start of a brilliant career. In his MLB debut, Mark Grace, batting in the sixth slot, pulled a pitch from San Diego's Jimmy Jones into right field for a single, helping to spark a two-run fourth that put Chicago on its way to a 5-2 win. That was the first of Grace's 2,201 career hits with the Cubs, putting him fifth on the team's all-time list. The first baseman suited up for the North Siders for 13 seasons; he became one of eight players to eclipse 2,000 hits in a Cubs uniform.

April 29, 1987: Hawk makes history
On April 29, in his first season with the Cubs, Andre Dawson took the field against the Giants with a .236 average. By the end of the day, Hawk had raised his average 50 points and made history in the process. Dawson homered in his first at-bat, sparking a 5-for-5 day that included two singles, one double and a triple in an 8-4 win. It is one of 58 cycles since 1901 that include five or more hits, and only the 37th in the modern era at that time. Dawson went on to claim the 1987 National League MVP Award in one of the great campaigns in Cubs history.

July 2, 1993: Sammy's six hits
Sammy Sosa was best known for his prolific power, which led him to the top of the Cubs' all-time home run list (545 of his 609 career shots). In 1993, Sosa was still taming his violent swing. Things came together for Sosa in a wild 11-run, 21-hit win for the Cubs on July 2 in Colorado. He collected six hits (five singles and one double), stole three bases and drove in a pair of runs. The six hits tied a modern club record (done four times previously by a Cubs batter since 1901). Sosa also joined Pittsburgh's Max Carey (July 7, 1922) as the only MLB hitters in the modern era to have at least six hits and three steals in one game.

Aug. 19, 1969: Williams' windy catch
The ball that rocketed off Hank Aaron's bat appeared destined to land in Wrigley Field's left-field bleacher seats. Billy Williams even came to a stop at the wall, pressed against the ivy as he looked up. Ken Holtzman's no-hit bid against the Braves was over. Or, was it? The Friendly Confines' famous wind (or perhaps the baseball gods) had other ideas in the seventh inning on this day. The ball carried back into play and a surprised Williams took a few steps along the wall and made an unexpected catch. Holtzman continued on, polishing off a no-hitter that included zero strikeouts.

July 30, 1987: Dawson shows off Gold arm
Andre Dawson captured the National League MVP Award in 1987 largely for his offensive firepower, having led the Majors in homers (49) and RBIs (137) in his first season with the Cubs. An eight-time Gold Glove Award recipient, Dawson was also valued for his defensive skill. An example arrived in the fifth inning on July 30 of his MVP campaign, when Montreal's Mitch Webster tried to stretch a double up the right-field line into a triple. Dawson plucked the ball from the base of the wall in foul territory and fired a strike to third baseman Keith Moreland. The pinpoint throw registered an out that had Wrigley Field roaring. It marked one of 12 outfield assists by Dawson that season.

April 19, 2004: Lee slams first Wrigley HR with Cubs
The Cubs swung a blockbuster trade with the Marlins ahead of the 2004 season to land Derrek Lee, and he was quick to win over the Wrigley faithful. In the last game of his first homestand at the Friendly Confines, Lee smashed a pitch from Cincinnati's Ryan Wagner into the right-field bleachers for a grand slam. It was his first trot around the bases in front of his new home fans. That blast blew open an 8-1 win over the Reds and was the first of six slams Lee would launch in his time with the Cubs.