BALTIMORE — Moments before he made history with his final swing in an incredible four-homer performance, Josh Hamilton stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with a surprising sense of calm.
Hamilton, the Texas Rangers’ slugger, had never before hit more than two home runs in a game, and he already had three. So as he took his place in the batter’s box against Baltimore right-hander Darren O’Day, Hamilton already had a feeling of accomplishment.
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“I just went up like it was any other at-bat because if I don’t hit one,” Hamilton reasoned, “I’ve still had a really good night.”
It turned out to be unforgettable.
Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three pitchers to carry the Rangers to a 10-3 victory Tuesday night.
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 O’Day.
“Obviously it’s, other than being in the World Series, the highlight of my big-league career,” Hamilton said. “I was saying after I hit two I’ve never hit three in a game before, and what a blessing that was. Then to hit four is just an awesome feeling.”
Hamilton also doubled. His 18 total bases is a single-game AL record, and his eight RBI are a career high.
The last player to hit four homers in a game was Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003, for Toronto against Tampa Bay.
YANKEES 5, RAYS 3: David Robertson struck out Carlos Pena with the bases loaded to end a rocky ninth inning in his first save chance since Mariano Rivera’s season-ending knee injury, helping host New York end a seven-game skid against Tampa Bay.
TWINS 5, ANGELS 0: Scott Diamond pitched seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer, giving Minnesota a win at home.
WHITE SOX 5, INDIANS 3: Alex Rios tripled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and Chicago won at Cleveland.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PIRATES 5, NATIONALS 4: Rod Barajas hit a two-run homer off Washington closer Henry Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth to lift host Pittsburgh.
BREWERS 8, REDS 3: Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run triple, helping Milwaukee win at home.
METS 7, PHILLIES 4: Lucas Duda had a tie-breaking, two-out RBI single in the seventh and visiting New York won its fourth straight.
ASTROS 3, MARLINS 2: Pinch-hitter Brian Bogusevic hit an eighth-inning RBI double and host Houston ended Miami’s season-long seven-game winning streak.
BRAVES 3, CUBS 1: Dan Uggla hit a tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth inning to help Atlanta win at Chicago.
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