BALTIMORE — Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit four home runs in Tuesday night’s 10-3 win against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming just the 16th player to achieve the feat in Major League Baseball history.
No man has ever done it more than once in their career, and no one has ever hit five.
Hamilton hit three two-run home runs through his first four at-bats, and added a solo shot in the eighth inning. He also had a double in the fifth inning.
The 18 total bases was a new single-game American League record, while his eight RBIs marked a career high.
The 30-year-old became the first player to have a four-home-run game since Carlos Delgado did it for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003.
Orioles starter Jake Arrieta gave up the first two homers, in the first and third innings, and Zach Phillips the third in the seventh. The fourth shot came off Darren O’Day with a bomb to center.
Hamilton leads the American League with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs and is batting .406 this season.
According to ESPN, 2012 is now the first MLB season where both a four-home-run game and a perfect game have occurred. Chicago White Sox right-hander Philip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in MLB history against the Mariners on April 21.