Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Rangers' Garcia blasts A's for 3 HRs, 8 RBIs

Written by 
Published in Baseball
Saturday, 22 April 2023 20:08

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adolis Garcia was in the on-deck circle with three home runs and one more good chance to try for a fourth while Josh Sborz was making a rare plate appearance for a Texas pitcher.

"Yeah, he had orders not to swing the bat," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of the right-handed reliever.

Sborz followed those orders, taking three strikes on four 55-plus mph sliders from Oakland infielder Jace Peterson with the Rangers on their way to an 18-3 victory Saturday night.

Looking to match the major league record for home runs in a game, García's second chance at his fourth of the night ended the same way as the first: a double. The first two-bagger -- in the seventh inning -- drove in two runs, just as all three homers had.

The 30-year-old slugger from Cuba finished with a career-high eight RBI to go with his first three-homer game. He has seven homers and 28 RBI this season.

García launched two-run shots in the first, third and fifth -- all at least 400 feet -- as the Rangers built a 13-2 lead. The two-run double in the seventh made it 15-2.

García's 432-foot drive into the second deck in left field came in the first inning of Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami's fourth career start for Oakland.

After the first homer, García was hit on the left arm by the first pitch from Fujinami in the second inning, a 97 mph fastball. Plate umpire Jordan Baker quickly stepped in front of García, who appeared upset but walked to first base without any words exchanged with the pitcher.

García cleared the center-field wall on a 419-foot drive off reliever Adrián Martinez in the third. Texas' cleanup hitter went deep off Martinez again in the fifth, 401 feet into the Oakland bullpen in left-center.

It was the first three-homer game for García and the first for the Rangers since Ronald Guzmán connected three times at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 10, 2018.

"It was an incredible night," García said through an interpreter. "I didn't expect something like this to happen, but I'm really blessed and thankful for it."

Sborz had to bat with a runner at first and one out in the eighth because designated hitter Brad Miller had taken over at first base with the game out of hand.

After Sborz did his duty -- even though Bochy said the reliever wanted to swing the bat -- García saw five of the same pitches at roughly the same speed from Peterson, lining the last one down the line in left field.

"It's difficult when somebody tries to pitch a little bit slower," Garcia said. "My timing isn't very good, but I wanted the home run in that at-bat. The double's just as good, so I'll take it."

The last double from García could have scored Travis Jankowski, but he jogged to third, preserving Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez's club record of nine RBI in a game set in 1999.

"We were all waiting in anticipation," Bochy said of García's last two at-bats. "He's got a chance to make history, and it's pretty cool. You get two doubles, that's not too shabby, either. Total bases equals the four home runs."

García went 5 for 5 and became just the third player since 1901 with at least 16 total bases, three homers, eight RBI and five runs in a game. Washington's Anthony Rendon (2017) and Brooklyn's Gil Hodges (1950) were the others.

"You just don't see that often," Bochy said. "What he did tonight, it's impressive. It's fun to watch great athletes when they get locked in like tonight. We were all pulling for him to get one more."

García had the second three-homer game in the majors this season. Trayce Thompson of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit three in a 10-1 win over Arizona on April 1.

The previous Texas player with eight RBI in a game was Nelson Cruz on May 25, 2012, at Toronto. The club record of nine is held by Ivan Rodriguez.

García said he also hit three homers in a Triple-A game in 2018. Oh, and he said he had eight RBI in that one, too.

Read 140 times

Soccer

Napoli honor Maradona on anniversary of passing

Napoli honor Maradona on anniversary of passing

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNapoli fans and club officials paid tribute to Diego Maradona on th...

Ronaldo double bolsters Al Nassr's ACL place

Ronaldo double bolsters Al Nassr's ACL place

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCristiano Ronaldo netted a pair of goals in Al Nassr's Asian Champi...

Raya warns Arsenal of 'in-form' Gyökeres' threat

Raya warns Arsenal of 'in-form' Gyökeres' threat

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDavid Raya has warned his Arsenal teammates that Sporting CP forwar...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Morant back for Grizzlies after missing 8 games

Morant back for Grizzlies after missing 8 games

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ja Morant was in the lineup Monday night for the...

Rockets' VanVleet hit with $50K fine for tirade

Rockets' VanVleet hit with $50K fine for tirade

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRockets guard Fred VanVleet was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Monday...

Baseball

Ex-big leaguer Chirinos joins O's as bench coach

Ex-big leaguer Chirinos joins O's as bench coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBALTIMORE -- Robinson Chirinos replaced Fredi González on Monday as...

MLB alters Rays' schedule; 69 of last 103 on road

MLB alters Rays' schedule; 69 of last 103 on road

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Major League Baseball switched a pair of series involvi...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated