Last Saturday, Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman Eugenio Suárez joined the short list of MLB players who have been able to hit four home runs in a single game.
In the Diamondbacks’ game against the Atlanta Braves, Suárez’s first home run was a solo shot in the second inning, before he knocked in a two-run homer in the fourth, another solo home run in the sixth, and one last solo shot in the ninth to top off his performance.
That ninth inning solo home run helped the Diamondbacks tie the Braves, and sent the game into extra innings. Suárez’s homers were, surprisingly, not enough to get the team a victory, as the Braves managed to punch out a win in the 10th.
But that’s baseball.
Suárez mirrored this sentiment after the game.
"Mixed feelings right now because we didn't win the game," Suárez said, per ESPN. "But this is baseball; that's why this game is so special. I just want to glorify God with this for the game today. It's a gift, and I don't take it for granted.”
Despite the team’s loss, Suárez clearly still accomplished quite the feat, becoming only the 19th player to have managed to hit four homers in a single game.
Four home runs in one game is the MLB's current record. The list for three home runs is much more extensive; according to the Baseball Almanac, 358 players have hit three home runs in a single game. This list includes some recognizable Philly names, like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Ryan Howard.
But there are some Philadelphia Phillies names in the four-homer club as well.
Phillies History: Remembering surprising trio of Phillies who matched Eugenio Suárez
The first likely doesn’t come as a surprise: Phillies great, Mike Schmidt.
1. Mike Schmidt
Just one of Mike Schmidt's accomplishments with the Phillies was his four-homer game. On April 17, 1976, Mike Schmidt hit four homers in an extra-inning battle against the Chicago Cubs.
Combined, the Phillies and Cubs hit nine home runs in that '76 game. Schmidt knocked his fourth and final home run of the game in the 10th inning, over the ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field, to bring the Phillies to victory.
2. Chuck Klein
Hall of Famer Chuck Klein hit his four homers for the Phillies on July 10, 1936 in a game against the Pittsburg Pirates. Klein's performance helped the Phillies to beat the Pirates 9-6. Klein was voted MVP in 1932, won the Triple Crown in 1933, and hit for the cycle twice in his career.
3. Ed Delahanty
Even earlier in Phillies history, Ed Delahanty became just the second player to hit four homers in a single game. This was accomplished on July 13, 1896, in the Phillies' game against the (at that time) Chicago Colts. If you can believe it, Delahanty actually hit two of his four homers inside the park. This feat makes him the only player to include an inside-the-park home run as part of his four homer repertoire.