No-hitters are rare. In fact, there have been only 11 no-hitters thrown at Dodger Stadium since it opened on April 10, 1962, with the last belonging to Clayton Kershaw on June 18, 2014. But in the top of the first inning of Monday night’s game, the 49,628 fans at Dodger Stadium (at least those who had arrived by the first inning) witnessed something even rarer than a no-hitter.

Prior to Monday night’s game, there had been a total of 6,616 home runs hit at Dodger Stadium. Of those 6,616 home runs only four had been hit completely out of the stadium by three different players: Willie Stargell on August 6, 1969, Willie Stargell on May 8, 1973, Mike Piazza on September 21, 1997, and Mark McGwire on May 22, 1999.

With two outs and the bases empty, Panorama City, CA native Giancarlo Stanton launched an 85-MPH Mike Bolsinger cut fastball over the Left Field Pavilion roof to become only the fourth player to hit one out of Dodger Stadium – and it was impressive. So much so that those who realized what they had just witnessed gave Stanton a standing ovation – and there were many.

Stanton joins a very elite few to have hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium.
(Photo credit – Richard Mackson)

Even though Stanton’s blast, which was initially estimated at 478 feet but listed at 467 feet by Home Run Tracker, would be the only run that the Marlins would score in the eventual 11-1 rout, it received a variety of comments from several Dodgers players:

Mike Bolsinger: “That’s the hardest ball I’ve ever seen hit against me. Well, I take that back. His last ball he hit against me (a single) was probably the hardest ball. I think there was a dent in it. I knew he hit it pretty hard. You’ve got to just look back and go, ‘That’s awesome,’ and just go on with the game.”

Andre Ethier: “I’m sorry if I’m chuckling still, but I’ve never seen a ball hit that hard.”

Scott Van Slyke (who did not even move while standing in left field): “Where was I going to go, try and catch it?”

For to those who arrive at Dodger Stadium early every game to take in batting practice, Stanton’s blast came as no surprise, as he often hits them over the Left Field Pavilion roof during BP. But when you consider that the last one to actually leave Dodger Stadium during a game occurred almost 16 years ago to the day, even they were amazed by what they witnessed on Monday evening.

“It was amazing, awesome,” said LFP season ticket holder Benny Amesquita of Norwalk. “It was the first time I have seen anyone hit a ball out of the stadium during a game and live.”

“It was my first ‘in-person’ home run I’ve witnessed that left Dodger Stadium,” said David Baltazar, a longtime season ticket holder from Long Beach.

“In all my years of attending MLB games I have never seen a ball crushed like that majestic bomb,” said Steve Mears of Westlake Village. “I swear I saw vapor trails.”

Fans sitting in the Left Field Pavilion were in absolute awe over Stanton’s incredible home run.
(Photo credit – John McCoy)

Stanton’s blast was his eighth home run of the season and the 162nd of his career. He recently signed a record-setting 13 year/$325 million contract extension with the Marlins through 2027 with an option for 2028. As such, there’s a pretty good chance that Dodger fans will see the 25-year-old Stanton hit a few more “majestic bombs” out of Dodger Stadium – and for many years to come.