Hamilton hits four homers in Rangers' win
May 9, 2012
Josh Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three different pitchers in a history-making performance that carried the Texas Rangers to a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, added another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and topped it off with a shot against Darren O'Day in the eighth. During the last at-bat, Hamilton took a hack and missed, lined a foul into right-field seats and then sent the 0-2 pitch over the center-field wall.
Hamilton also doubled in the fifth inning. His 18 total bases is a new single-game American League record, and his eight RBIs are a career high.
The last player to hit four home runs in a game was Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003, for Toronto against Tampa Bay. Two of the 16 players to hit four homers in a game did it before 1900. Hamilton is the sixth AL
slugger to perform the feat.
Hamilton, who is in the final year of his contract and could become a free agent after this season, leads the AL with 14 homers and 36 RBIs, and his 5-for-5 effort raised his batting average to .406.
Hamilton has homered in five of his last six at-bats, counting his final trip to the plate Monday night.
Coming off a 14-3 win in the series opener, Texas has won two straight for the first time since April 24-25 and is 20-10, its best-ever record after 30 games.
Pettitte to start Sunday for Yankees • Andy Pettitte is set to rejoin the New York Yankees and start this Sunday at home against Seattle. The former ace lefty of the Yankees retired after the 2010 season and sat out last year. He made a comeback this year in spring training.
American League
White Sox 5, Indians 3 • Alex Rios tripled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Chicago won at Cleveland.
Royals 6, Red Sox 4 • Billy Butler hit a mammoth three-run homer in the eighth inning to help give host Kansas City a win over Boston.
Twins 5, Angels 0 • Scott Diamond pitched a career-best seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer for host Minnesota.
National League
Braves 3, Cubs 1 • Dan Uggla hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning as Atlanta beat host Chicago.
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