Chicks Dig The Wednesday: MLB Teams Combine for 47 Home Runs

↵↵The homers came in bunches. There were more games that had five home runs (4) than games with just one home run (3). Of the 47 homers hit, three were the first of the year for that player, including the first career homer for Detroit’s Danny Worth. Speaking of milestones, Matt Stairs belted his second of the season, which was more notable than most because it was the 20th pinch-hit homer in his career, tying him for the most in MLB history.↵

↵↵It only took 41 players to hit the 47 bombs on Wednesday, led by Washington’s Adam Dunn who knocked out three in a win over the Padres. Per the Washington Post:↵

↵↵⇥The brave, sweltering 13,762 fans at Nationals Park had coaxed Dunn out of the home dugout so they could applaud the final act of his historic night. In a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night, Dunn, with the first such game of his 10-year career, became the first player to hit three home runs in a game at Nationals Park.↵⇥↵⇥After the third home run, Dunn blew a bubble while circling first base. He accepted the milestone with his typically carefree demeanor. He was asked if knowing he had two home runs altered his approach in his final at-bat, in the eighth inning. “I don’t have an approach to change, man,” Dunn said. “That’s all I got.”↵⇥

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Dunn had five RBI on the day – helping the Nats creep back up to within 10 games of .500 – but was narrowly outdone by San Francisco’s Buster Posey, who recorded six RBI after a two-run homer, followed by grand slam later in the Giants 15-2 win over the Brewers. The most dramatic homer of the day had to go to Chris Iannetta of the Rockies who hit his second ninth-inning homer in as many games, with last night’s solo shot being a walk-off winner. It was the second come-from-behind win in as many nights for the Rockies over the Cardinals, with both games ending by way of the walk-off dinger. From the Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck:↵↵⇥There’s no story line too sappy, no ending too corny. In the interest of time and space, let’s keep this simple. Memo to sports desk: Pull out Tuesday’s game story. Any reference to Seth Smith, change to Chris Iannetta. Where you see Ryan Franklin, replace with Evan MacLane. Leave Jim Tracy’s smile and hyperbole. ↵⇥↵⇥“Last night was surreal,” said closer Huston Street, who picked up the win. “This was more fun because you could kind of see it coming.”↵⇥

↵↵A homer nobody saw coming was Jose Bautista’s league-leading 22nd home run, which never even cleared the fence. In part thanks to a miscommunication in the Minnesota outfield, Bautista scampered home with a two-run, inside-the-park home run, upping his total on the season in a rather unconventional way. (note: the best way to “fix” the Home Run Derby? Make it an Inside-the-Park Home Run Derby … and, yes, I’m being serious).↵↵The 47 on Wednesday came on the heels of Tuesday’s then-season-best 42 homers throughout the league. Per MLB.com:↵

↵↵⇥The consecutive two-day total of 89 homers were the most by a healthy margin, 15 more than the 74 combined home runs hit on May 14-15. Forty or more homers have been hit only on five occasions this season: Tuesday, Wednesday, June 13 (41), May 14 and April 11 (40 each).↵↵In an effort to constantly classify our seasons, we’ve somewhat prematurely dubbed 2010 the Year of the Pitcher. I still contend that despite three* perfect games (*it is three) and a no-hitter or two sprinkled in for good measure, this can still be seen as the Year of the Walk-Off. Regardless, we know one thing for sure: we’re in the middle of the Week of the Home Run. Dig it.↵