#Shortstops: A bat ‘four’ a home run

Written by: Jerry Goosenberg

The date is Sept. 18, 2006.

It’s the bottom of the ninth on a beautiful night in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers find themselves down four runs (9-5) to the San Diego Padres, a team they are trailing by half a game in the NL West standings for first place with just over two weeks to go in the season.

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Many of the 55,831 fans are long gone, as per usual at Chavez Ravine, looking to avoid the inevitable LA and parking lot traffic.

The Padres send in Jon Adkins to close out the game in a non-save situation.

Things start to come apart, however, when Adkins gives up consecutive home runs to Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew to lead off the inning.

Still, no big deal, as manager Bruce Bochy quickly goes to the bullpen, opting for his lockdown closer, future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman, who enters the game with a 1.80 ERA and looking for his 40th save of the season.

However, Russell Martin steps up to the plate and wastes no time, belting the first pitch he sees over the left-center field fence for the third consecutive home run of the inning.

Next up is Marlon Anderson, traded to the Dodgers from the Nationals just 18 days before.

Anderson is already 4-for-4 with a home run coming into the at bat, and on the first pitch, goes from having a great day to having a legendary day, as he deposits the first pitch thrown by Hoffman into the right-center field bleachers to tie the game at 9.

With the home run, the Dodgers join the 1964 Minnesota Twins, 1963 Cleveland Indians, and 1961 Milwaukee Braves as the only teams to hit four consecutive home runs in a game since 1900.

The Dodgers later win the game in the bottom of the 10th on a Nomar Garciaparra walk-off, two-run homer as the Dodgers win 11-10 and take over the division lead.

Anderson’s bat is now a part of the collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.


Jerry Goosenberg was the 2019 licensing and sales intern in the Hall of Fame’s Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development

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