Welcome to the Club, Lieber
Jon Lieber did something today that not a whole lot of pitchers can claim to have done. He gave up 4 home runs in a single inning. He started off the fateful second inning with back-to-back home runs by Adam Dunn and Joey Votto, but eventually settled in and got Edwin Encarnacion to pop-out.
Lieber surely breathed a sigh of relief, only to have Paul Bako hit a home run on the very next pitch. Three batters later Jerry Hairston Jr. hit the final home run of the inning, tying what I believe is a record for most home runs allowed by one pitcher in a single inning.
The last pitcher to do it was Chase Wright of the Yankees, who gave up four home runs in a row on April 22nd last season. Luckily for Wright, it was a nationally televised game against the Red Sox.
Eric Seidman said,
May 7, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
If I recall correctly, when Chase Wright did it he became just the second player to ever allow the four home runs. I just looked it up and apparently Paul Foytack, a Tigers pitcher from the 50s was the first.
David Appelman said,
May 7, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
I think Chase is the only pitcher to ever give them up back-to-back? There seems to be about 1 pitcher a year to do it in a single inning.
Rick said,
May 7, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
For those who might think of the Dodgers 9th inning comeback (as I did), Trevor Hoffman relieved Jon Atkins after the first two HR and allowed the 2nd two.
John said,
May 7, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
Mistake: I see you got the wrong Encarnacion in the article. It’s Edwin, not Juan.
David Appelman said,
May 7, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Oops, fixed!
Eric Seidman said,
May 7, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
No, I meant Paul Foytack is the only other person to give them up consecutively. Foytack first, then Wright.