During the Dodgers 11-2 pounding of the Atlanta Braves in front of a Dodger Stadium crowd of 44,474 on Saturday evening, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy generously donated home run balls to two fans in the Right Field Pavilion and one fan in the Left Field Pavilion. It was the first three-home-run game for the 33-year-old Midland, TX native and fifth round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2012 out of Baylor University, and the 15th multi-home run game of his nine-year MLB career.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t (thinking about hitting the third home run),” Muncy said postgame. “It’s always in your head when you get up there after two. I’ve hit two plenty of times. But yeah, when you go up there last at-bat, the third one is always in your head.”

“We haven’t seen that backside homer in a long time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy’s opposite-field blast to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning. “When you can go the other way, you’re spinning the baseball the right way. It carries out of the ballpark versus a swing that’s cutting it. So his swing’s in a really good spot, he’s taking really good at-bats, and he’s just doing everything we need.”

But Muncy wasn’t the only one giving away souvenirs on Saturday evening. International superstar Shohei Ohtani slugged his eighth home run of the season to tie Muncy for the team lead. In doing so, he also passed Roberts for the Dodgers record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player … with 127 games remaining in the 2024 regular season.

Blazing hot Dodgers rookie outfielder Andy Pages also homered on Saturday. It was the 23-year-old La Habana, Cuba native’s fourth round tripper of the season and second in his last five games.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the outstanding pitching performance by 30-year-old Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who went 7.0 innings to pick up his MLB-leading sixth win of the season with only one loss. The Newhall, CA native and fifth round draft pick in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Hart High School in Santa Clarita allowed only two runs on five hits, while walking one and striking out 10, to bring his season total to an MLB-leading 63 Ks on the season.

“Daunting is the word,” Roberts said of teams having to face Glasnow, who now leads all of baseball with his 50.0 innings pitched.

Play Ball!

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