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Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez added his name to a very exclusive list on Saturday night, becoming just the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game despite an 8-7 extra innings loss to the Atlanta Braves.
The 33-year-old was unstoppable at the plate, hitting solo shots in the second, sixth and ninth innings, as well as a two-run homer in the fourth. In doing so, he became the first major-league player since J.D. Martinez in 2017, also for the D-backs, to achieve the extraordinary feat – one which is even rarer than a perfect game, of which there have been 24.
He now finds himself among esteemed company alongside the likes of Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig and fellow third baseman Mike Schmidt.
Suárez traded a signed hat, jersey and ball for the ball from his historic fourth homer, per MLB.com.
“It’s awesome. I never thought in my life that I’d be able to hit four home runs in a game. To be honest, it feels great,” he said afterward.
“Obviously there’s mixed feelings right now because we didn’t win the game. But this is baseball, that’s why this game is so special.”
The 33-year-old’s final blast tied the game at 7-7 in the ninth inning, but Matt Olson scored on a wild pitch in the 10th to dampen the mood at Chase Field.
Suárez has hit 286 home runs across a 12-year career in MLB, and can boast two previous three-HR games – one last year with Arizona, and another in 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds.
Nonetheless, he has struggled at the plate recently and started the day batting .167 with six home runs and 15 RBIs.
“I had a conversation with him in Miami, and he assured me that he’s still going over all of his checkpoints and working his butt off, and good things were going to start happening,” said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo after the game.
“When I’m going through those conversations and I’m watching him have success, I’m like a (proud) father. I’m just watching him go out and there and get the job done. So, hats off to him.”
With four swings of the bat, Suárez has now gone from a difficult stretch to being MLB’s leader in home runs this season. He and the Diamondbacks are next in action on Sunday for the conclusion of the three-game series.
