Last season, Shohei Ohtani reached the 50-homer level in Miami in September with a 3-homer, 6-6, 10 RBI performance. Earlier in the year, Will Smith and Max Muncy had their first career three-homer games. The first one for the Dodgers came in 1926 when Jack Fournier hit 3 against the Cardinals in a 12-10 loss. He drove in 5 runs. It would be 1948 before another Dodger hit 3, this time it was Gene Hermanski against the Cubs at Ebbets Field.
In 1950, four Dodgers slammed 3 in a game, one of them, Hodges, was 4 homer performance. The other 3 were Snider, Campanella and Tommy Brown. No Dodger would do it again until 1955 when Snider had another 3-homer game. It was the last by a Brooklyn Dodger. So, in their entire existence, Brooklyn had exactly seven such performances. Johnny Mize had six all by himself, as does Mookie Betts, his last being in 2020 against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.
The first LA Dodger to record 3 was Don Demeter in 1959. Then there was a long drought, not until 1974 did another LA player have a 3-homer game, Jimmy Wynn. LA just never seemed to have big boppers like that. Even a guy like Frank Howard, who after he left the Dodgers, became a serious power threat with 40 homer years, never hit more than 2 in any game. Stars like Mantle, Mays, McCovey, Banks and Stargell had multiple games with 3 long balls. Mays had a 4-homer game.
Dave Kingman had 5 3-homer games, one prompted one of Lasorda’s most memorable rants. Again, for LA there was a long drought between 3 homer games as the next one came from Cory Snyder in 1994. His came during a 19-4 blowout against the Pirates and he drove in 7 runs. Piazza was the next Dodger with 3, his came in 1996. Kevin Elster did it in 2000, sometimes you forget a player even played in LA. Elster was in his last season in the majors. He played 80 games for LA that year and hit 14 homers.
The game had changed a lot, and players were getting stronger and more athletic. Shawn Green was the next LA player with 3, in 2001, then in 02 he hit 4 in a game against the Brewers, setting a Dodger record for total bases in a game. 2005 saw Hee-Seop Choi slug 3 against the Twins. He hit 6 of his 15 homers against the Twins. He drove in just 7 runs with those 6 homers. One of the worst LA trades brought him to the Dodgers.
The next guy was Andre Ethier in 2009. Captain Clutch hit his in July against Seattle. He drove in 6 of the Dodgers 8 runs that day. In 2015, in a three-game series with the Padres, Adrian Gonzalez hit 5 homers, 3 of them coming in game 3 of the series off of Andrew Cashner in a 7-4 LA win. He would hit 3 in a game in 2016 too. Seager had his first 3-homer game that year, and Yasmani Grandal had one too. Gonzalez joined Snider and Green as the only Dodgers to do it twice.
Seager joined that trio in 2017, and Yasiel Puig had a 3-homer game in 2018. Hitting 3 in a post season game is pretty rate, it has been done just 11 times in MLB history. Babe Ruth, Bob Robertson of the Pirates, Reggie, Brett, Adam Kennedy of the Angels, Beltre with Texas, Pujols, Sandoval with the Giants, Altuve, and then in 2017, Kike against the Cubs. Chris Taylor did it in 21 against Atlanta.
Mookie against the Padres in 2020, and then no one did it until Trayce Thompson hit 3 against the D-Backs in 23. That was it until Ohtani, Muncy and Smith did it last year. So, since the Dodgers have been in LA, they have had 20 times when a player hit 3, including their 2 in the postseason. I would think it is a little hard to accomplish in this day and age since a player rarely sees the same pitcher twice, let alone three times. Aaron Judge has done it three times in his career.
When Ohtani had his historic day last September, he hit his off of three different pitchers. Kike hit his 3 against the Cubs off of 3 different pitchers as did Taylor. Managers just do not leave pitchers in the game long enough to give up 3 to the same guy. Mookie is tied for the All-Time record with 6. Will he do it again? I would hope he does. Unlikeliest player to accomplish that. But Mookie has surprised us before, maybe he will do it again.
MiLB GAME SUMMARIES
OKC Comets 8 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 2
OKC had their own bullpen game. Noah Davis was the opener and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 1 BB in his 2.0 innings. Sam Carlson, Ryan Sublette, and Jose E. Hernandez each pitched 2.0 scoreless innings. Julian Fernández pitched a scoreless 9th to close it out.
In the top of the 1st, Alex Freeland walked and moved to 2nd on a Ryan Ward single. Freeland moved to 3rd on a fielder’s choice and scored on a Steward Berroa sac fly.
Down 2-1 in the third, OKC scored 6. With one out, Ryan Ward tripled, Michael Chavis walked and Berroa was HBP. Hunter Feduccia singled home Ward, but the bases remain loaded. Nick Senzel slugged a 396 foot Grand Slam HR. Justin Dean followed with a solo HR of his own, and OKC had a 7-2 lead.
And the team's first grand slam of the season belongs to Nick Senzel! pic.twitter.com/ETCpmzW5rY
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 17, 2025
It was confusing and a bit anti-climatic, but Justin Dean makes it back-to-back homers! pic.twitter.com/FeVO3wRrD6
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 17, 2025
In the 5th, Berroa drew a BB and stole 2nd. He scored on a Nick Senzel single for the final run of the game.
- Ryan Ward – 2-5, 1 run, triple (1)
- Nick Senzel – 2-4, 1 run, 5 RBI, HR (2)
- Justin Dean – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (4), HR (3)
Tulsa Drillers 6 – Northwest Arkansas Naturals (KC) 5
RHP Peter Heubeck had his best game of the season. He completed 6 innings, allowing one run on 2 hits and just 1 BB. He struck out 8. He was very efficient with just 75 pitches in 6 innings.
The Drillers got 4 runs in the 1st inning. Tulsa had 3 singles, 1 BB, and 1 HBP, plus 3 WP to generate 4 runs. The last two WP scored the final two runs of the inning.
Heubeck retired the first 10 batters he faced and after a BB, he retired the next 5 hitters. He took a no-no into the 6th, but the first NWA batter doubled for their first hit, and scored on a single. Heubeck got the final three batters in the inning, and exited with a 4-1 lead.
Nick Biddison hit a HR in the 6th to get the Loons their 4 run lead back.
In the 8th, Ronan Kopp and Lucas Wepf blew a 4 run lead. Kopp got the 1st two outs, and then walked the next two. Wepf relieved Kopp and gave up a single, double, and triple to tie the game.
The game went into extra innings. With one out, Brandon Neeck relieved Wepf and got the final two outs without allowing a run.
With Damon Keith as the placed runner on 2nd, GLP singled him home for the walkoff win.
- Taylor Young – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Kole Myers – 2-4
- Nick Biddison – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (1)
Great Lakes Loons 11 – Lake County Captains (Cleveland) 4
Eriq Swan started for the Loons, and struck out the side in the 1st after allowing a leadoff single. But walks hurt him in the 2nd. A single and 3 walks gave the Captains an early 1-0 lead.
The Loons scored 11 runs over the next three innings. In the 2nd, Joe Vetrano hit a one out double, and Carlos Ruiz had a run scoring single. Jackson Nicklaus followed with a single, and Wilman Diaz slugged a 3-run HR for a 4-1 lead.
In the 3rd, Logan Wagner and Josue De Paula led off with singles. Jake Gelof drew a BB to load the bases. Carlos Ruiz brought Wagner home on a sac fly, and Nicklaus doubled home De Paula and Gelof.
In the 4th, De Paula drew a 1-out BB, and Wagner tripled him home. Zyhir Hope followed with a single to score Wagner. Gelof drew a 2nd BB and Vetrano plated both Hope and Gelof with a triple. That ended the scoring for the night for the Loons after 4 innings.
The Captains scored a couple of meaningless runs in the late innings.
Swan had 7 strikeouts with his 3 BB. The four Loons pitchers combined to allow eight BB and one HBP.
The Loons scored their 11 runs with 12 hits and 7 BB.
- Joe Vetrano – 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (11) triple (3)
- Logan Wagner – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, triple (1)
- Zyhir Hope – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Jackson Nicklaus – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 doubles (4)
- Zyhir Hope – 1-3, 2 BB, 1 run
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 9 – Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 2
The Quakes turned in another dominating performance on Friday night, as they handled the Inland Empire 66ers by a final of 9-2.
Aidan Foeller, Michael Vilchez and Ryan Brown combined for 15 strikeouts and helped lead the Quakes to their sixth straight win overall and a 9-1 record head-to-head against the 66ers.
Foeller gave up a two-run homer to Raudi Rodriguez (3) in the first, but settled down over the course of five total innings, watching his offense score the game’s final nine runs to earn his second win of the year.
Rancho’s Samuel Munoz smashed a go-ahead homer in the third off Inland Empire starter Francis Texido (1-3), as his fourth bomb of the year put Rancho ahead to stay at 3-2.
The Quakes added two unearned runs in the fifth, then took advantage of four walks and a hit batter in the sixth to take control at 8-2.
Roger Lasso capped the scoring with a run-scoring hit in the seventh, making it 9-2.
Eduardo Quintero enjoyed a perfect night at the plate, as he collected two singles and walked three times, finishing with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
Rancho (27-10) will send Logan Tabeling (2-0) to the mound on Saturday, as he’ll take on Peyton Olejnik (0-4) at 6:30pm.
- Eduardo Quintero – 2-2, 3 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
- Mairo Martinus – 2-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Elijah Hainline – 2-4, 1 run
- Victor Rodrigues – 2-4, 1 RBI
- Samuel Munoz – 1-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, HR (4)
Brewers ACL 8 – Dodgers ACL 7
- Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-3, 1 BB, 3 runs, 1 RBI, double (5), HR (1)
- Elias Medina – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (2)
Born June 14th, 1948, in Los Angeles California. AKA The Bear
Disappointing start to the freeway series. Hitting into 5 dp usually does not get you a win .
Kim continues to rake at a historical pace for a Dodgers rookie. IMHO you can not sent him down. No way.
I would sent Outman down and release CT when Edman and Teo are ready to return.
Loutos looked terrible. Should go down today when Clayton comes back.
Go Dodgers”””””””””””””””
Loutos was lousy. May was disappointing.
When I first learned about Mookie’s 3-HR-game prowess,it was a big surprise. He is not a big guy, not a classic slugger like Trout….but has done it more often than guys with 500 career homers. I don’t think it’s flukey, but rather a sign of just Mookie’s supreme ability to get locked in. (Which, come to think, is also key to bowling.) Rooting for him to do it again and again.
A friend of mine who is a baseball fan, but does not follow the Dodgers, told me he’d never of Kike before his 3-HR game. When Trayce Thompson did it, I was hoping it was a true breakthrough… but Trayce just seems to have been one of those guys who would flash mammoth potential but couldn’t sustain it for a full season….
As for the latest game, well, five double plays is pretty flukish. A loss to the Angels doesn’t bother me much because they are my No. 2 team and they need some love. Gritty Zach Neto is now the face of the franchise that has the once-great Trout on the IL and the loathsome Rendon sucking up so much payroll. The Angels and their long-suffering fans deserve better.
As for the Dodgers, Dustin May had a frustrating day. Ineffectively wild. Sixty strikes in 95 pitches for 8 Ks in five innings is just fine… but also four walks, 2 HBP and six hits, one for a HR. Dreyer and Garcia did nice job to keep the Halos in reach, but Loutos appears to be a name we should soon be able to forget. (The RP churn still puzzles me. Maybe Prior will sprinkle his pixie dust on this guy Loutos… but for some reason I doubt it.)
The team stats show that the Dodgers are at the top of MLB heap in offense, and middle of the pack in pitching.
And the offense is still on the upswing. Kim is providing ridiculous production at the bottom of the lineup, Shohei being Shohei at the top–and now much-maligned Max is coming to life in the middle. Kim’s .400 BA is no doubt unsustainable–but we’ve seen Maximum Max many times before.
Over the past 15 days, Max has produced an .832 OPS with 2 HRs and 12 RBI in 13 games. His OBP in that time is over .380, in part because he has 9 walks against 10 Ks. The arrival of Rushing provides another jolt for the team’s offense, and in due course Teo and Edman will be back. Pages is playing so well that he could become full-time in RF, with Teo shifting to LF. Outman seems likely to take a flight back to Oklahoma.
Assuming all this happens–assuming Pages is full-time, and both Teo and Edman return–Conforto would become a $17 million lefty-swinging pinch hitter. Not a key role, especially if lefty-swinging Dalton Rushing is also available.
Who is really more valuable to the Dodgers? The underperforming Conforto or the underperforming Taylor? Who should be the 26th man?
I’d give the nod to Taylor.
Maybe Brandon Gomes is already making calls, assessing the market for Conforto…
Someone tell me what the reason was for having Loutos pitching the ninth inning of a major league game and punting down by two runs?
Affiliates score all those runs and the big club fizzles. Go figure. Too many DP’s, not very good pitch recognition. Kersh tonight, going to be nice seeing him back on the mound against former Dodger, Tyler Anderson.
Orioles fired their manager, Brandon Hyde today, third base coach Tony Mansolino named interim manager. Some outlets are saying LA should pursue Lugo of the Royals.
A few additional notes on prospects via Dodgers Daily on X:
Peter Heubeck took a no-hitter into the 6th. He retired the 1st 9 hitters of the game before walking Carter Jensen in the 4th, then sat down the next 5 after that.
Heubeck has allowed just 12 hits all year in his 6 outings (21.2 IP), and has an average against of just .182. He also has 30 Ks on the year, so his stuff is LOUD, and when it’s in the zone, he dominates. Simply Put!
Heubeck has the Casparius story. He has used the Minor League process to continue to find and define the best version of himself, and has gone through a couple of adjustment periods to get it done. Those processes are super cool to follow, especially in his case, because he’s found the explosive piece.
Aidan Foeller is 23-year-old who was drafted out of Southern Illinois last summer in the 11th round, who features a FB at 93-95, and can run it up to 97. He also throws a good slider, a cutter, and a splitter.
Wilman Diaz hit one completely OUT of the entire stadium last night for Great Lakes at Dow Diamond. Impressive display of power to show how much power potential there is.
Amaya outrighted to AAA by the White Sox.
For those interested Sean Linan has been assigned to OKC for tonight’s game against Round Rock (Texas). OKC has a SP shortage with Knack and Sauer in LA. Wrobleski just pitched 4.0 innings against the A’s two days ago, so he is not available. Frasso started and pitched 5.0 innings two days ago. Miller started on Tuesday, so he will probably go on Sunday again. The only other OKC starter pitched, Justin Jarvis, pitched on Wednesday. OKC had a bullpen game on Friday already, so why not bring up the 20 year old.
It is somewhat odd to me that Linan is getting the AAA assignment on the same night that Ferris is getting the AA assignment. With the lack of SP in OKC, it can’t be long for Ferris to get the call to OKC, right???
But for tonight we can see Linan at AAA.
Apparently Bear inspired Wilmer Flores to hit three HRs…
In a way, I think Flores personifies the stealthy, over-achieving Giants. Here’s a guy that is never rated among the game’s best at his position, yet keeps producing. The Giants are now led by Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Heliot Ramos… and then you might remember that Wilmer is actually pretty clutch.
The Padres should be better than the Giants, and maybe the D’backs too, butit’s great that the Dodgers are in the game’s strongest division.
In other baseball news, the Baltimore Orioles just fired their manager, because he must be the reason the front office failed to get a pitcher or two who might reasonably replace Corbin Burnes in the rotation.
The progress of Pages and the emergence of Kim and Rushing have me thinking that AF might need to focus more on pitching at midseason despite the team’s depth.
With Shohei and Freddie setting the pace, the offense is a juggernaut. Right now, the team OPS is .825, just ahead of the Yankees’ .823. Dodgers also lead the majors in BA at .271 and slugging at .479. Only the Yankees have hit more HRs, 78 to 74.
But the pitching is middle of the pack.
In terms of ERA, the Dodgers are 16th at 3.98. My favorite pitching stat is probably WHIP. Again, the Dodgers are 16th at 1.28.
The Dodgers are second to the Phillies in strikeouts–but only nine staffs have issued more walks.
Will there be any pitcher on the market who could move the needle for the Dodgers this season? Even a six-man offer for Skenes would probably be ignored. Alcantara is the big name, but he’s been awful since returning from surgery.
Best case scenario: No trade is necessary because Kershaw returns to glory!
By “glory” I mean effective innings that help the Dodgers win.
How does Kershaw look so far?
Conforto is a rally killer. He has 1 RBI in the last month. Doc should have pinch hit for him with Smith or Kim.