The date was September 18, 2006. It was an otherwise uneventful Monday night in the City of Angels.

… until it wasn’t.

On that fateful night, Messrs. Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson etched their names into Dodgers – and baseball – history when they slugged back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to turn what appeared would be a 9-5 loss to the San Diego Padres into a 9-9 tie.

“Four consecutive home runs and the Dodgers have tied it up again!” proclaimed Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully on the televised broadcast.

And then things really got crazy.

In the top half of the 10th inning, the Padres added a run to take a 10-9 lead in their best effort to steal the thunder from the Dodgers previous half-inning.

They did not.

With no outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the 10th, Dodgers shortstop Nomar Garciaparra added his name to that historic night when he slugged a walk-off, two-run home run to give the Dodgers what was arguably the most incredible come-from-behind (twice) victory in franchise history; one that is still talked about today over beers by Dodger fans around the world.

Former Dodger and current SportsNet LA analyst Nomar Garciaparra became the “plus one” in what Dodger fans still affectionately call the “Four Plus One” game against the San Diego Padres on September 18, 2006.
(Photo credit: Jeff Gross – Click on image to view video)

But on Tuesday night. June 5, 2018, the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga pulled off an equally historic come-from-behind win; one that will (or at least should) forever be remembered as the “Three Plus Two” game.

With a title like that, it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out what happened; it was indeed back-to-back-to-back home runs that were subsequently followed by back-to-back home runs. But it’s how the Quakes pulled it off that is the incredible part.

Unlike their parent organization back in 2006, the Quakes entered the top of the eighth inning at The Hangar in Lancaster trailing the JetHawks (Rockies) by a score of 4-0. But on the very first pitch from JetHawks right-handed reliever Alexander Guillen, Quakes third baseman Rylan Bannon crushed Guillen’s first-pitch fastball over the left field wall for a leadoff solo home run to finally get Quakes manager Drew Saylor’s team on the board after being shutout for the first seven innings and making it a 4-1 ballgame. It was Bannon’s California League-leading 14th home run of the season.

This brought Quakes first baseman Cristian Santana to the plate, who crushed Guillen’s second pitch, also a fastball, over the wall in right-center field, the deepest part of the ballpark that will host the 2018 California League All-Star Game on June 19.

Three pitches; two runs; 4-2 ballgame.

After a mound visit by JetHawks pitching coach Dave Burba, Guillen would face Quakes center fielder and Dodgers 2017 first-round draft pick Jeren Kendall who, on Guillen’s fourth pitch, hit a towering home run to dead center, and just like that it was a one-run ballgame, prompting another mound visit by Burba who, in an obvious attempt to instill confidence in the now visibly shaken Guillen, left him in. But after an outstanding eight-pitch at-bat by Quakes right fielder Logan Landon that ended in a walk, Guillen’s night was over.

JetHawks left-hander Ben Bowden replaced Guillen and immediately walked Quakes catcher Connor Wong to move Landon into scoring position and still no outs. Bowden then uncorked two wild pitches, the second of which allowed Landon to bring home the tying run. Bowden would then strike out the next three Quakes batters he would face, but not before blowing the save and making it a 4-4 ballgame.

Quakes right-hander Stetson Allie came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and, after a leadoff single, retired the side with two strikeouts and a flyout.

…and now the “plus two” part.

On the very first pitch from JetHawks right-handed reliever Bryan Baker, Quakes shortstop and Dodgers 2016 first-round draft pick Gavin Lux hit an absolute moon shot to right field that not only cleared the wall, it bounced off a utility shed well past the wall to give the Quakes the improbable 5-4 lead.

Dodgers 2016 first-round draft pick Gavin Lux led off the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Lancaster JetHawks and drove a stake through their hearts with his eighth home run of the season. Lux is now hitting a very impressive .320 with a ridiculous .403 on-base percentage.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

This is where it really gets good … well, unless you’re a JetHawks fan, that is.

Bannon reached first on a throwing error by JetHawks shortstop Alan Trejo, which was followed by yet another home run by Santana to make it a 7-4 ballgame. Kendall would then walk but was thrown out attempting to steal second base, but Baker then walked Landon. After striking out Wong for the second out of the inning, Baker was replaced by JetHawks right-hander Juan Pena, whose first pitch to Quakes left fielder Cody Thomas went to the backstop, allowing Landon to take second base. Thomas then lined a sharp single to center scoring Landon to make it 8-4 Quakes. Pena then got Quakes pinch-hitter Omar Estevez to hit into a force out to end the inning.

Quakes left-handed side-armer Jason Richman came on to close out the game and did so on a groundout and two strikeouts to not only give the Rancho squad the incredible 8-4 win, but to also move them into second place in the highly competitive Cal League South standings a mere 1.0 games back of the first place Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) with 12 games remaining in the first half and a playoff berth at stake.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Saylor said, after his team’s thrilling come-from-behind win on Tuesday night. “We talked about this back in April with our ballclub that we feel we have talent, we have resiliency in this team, but they got to learn to play together and cut their teeth a little bit, especially some of the younger players we have up here.

“I’m ready to say that we’re a little bit ahead of schedule than what we thought it was going to be,” Saylor added. “We’ve got a ballclub right now that is playing well, they’re playing together, and it’s going to be a good race coming down to these last 12 days and we’re looking forward to playing.”