By now just about everyone in the baseball world is aware that Dodgers shortstop and reigning 2016 National League Rookie of the Year Corey Seager hit three home runs on Tuesday night in front of 47,715 at Dodger Stadium. But what many may not know is that when he came within 10 feet of hitting his fourth home run of the night, he also came within 10 feet of doing something that no player in the history of the game has ever done, not ever – hit for what is called a home run cycle, in which a player hits a solo home run, a two-run home run, a three-run home run and a grand slam home run in a single game.

Seager began his brush with baseball immortality in the first inning of Tuesday night’s 12-0 rout of the New York Mets when he slugged a two-run home run off of Mets right-hander Robert Gsellman, a 410-footer to straight away center field, to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. Little did Seager – or anyone else – know at the time that it would prove to be the only runs that the Dodgers would need to win the game and, as such, was the third time in less than a week in which the 23-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native would have the game-winning hit.

Seager’s first home run of the night, a two-run shot in the first inning, traveled 410 feet to center field.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Because the Dodgers had batted around in the first inning in which they scored four runs, Seager, who was batting in the number two hole, came up again in the second inning with one out and the bases empty. He did not hit a home run. But what he did do was hit a double to center field.

However, in his third at-bat in bottom of the fourth inning, the 6′-4″ / 220-pound Dodgers shortstop did hit a home run – a 372-foot solo shot also off of Gsellman – into the Left Field Pavilion for his second home run of the night, to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.

Seager’s second home run of the night was a 372-foot solo shot that just cleared the wall in left field.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Seager would homer again one inning later in the fifth inning, this one a three-run shot off of Mets left-hander (yes, left-hander) Josh Edgin that ironically also traveled 372 feet and landed within feet of his second blast.

Seager’s third home run of the night was a three-run blast off of Mets left-hander Josh Edgin that also traveled 372 feet. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As you might expect, the excitement and anticipation when Seager came to the plate again in the bottom of the sixth inning, this time with the bases loaded, was so thick you could cut it with a knife. After fouling off a pitch and taking a ball in the dirt, Seager lifted a fly ball to left field, where Mets left fielder Michael Conforto made the catch just in front of the warning track for the final out of the inning. Corey Seager had come a mere 10 feet short for doing what no man has ever done in the 148-year history of the game.

“Your trying not to (think about hitting your fourth home run of the night),” Seager said, after the game. “You know the situation, you know what’s going on. It’s hard to not think about it. Didn’t try and hit a home run, I actually tried to be smaller than I have been, just to not overswing basically. But it happens, you know. It’s still a great night.”

Great indeed.

Seager’s drive to left field in the bottom of the sixth inning came within 10 feet of being his fourth home run of the night. Had he done so, he would have become the first player in Major League history to hit for a home run cycle.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Of course, even being in a position to hit for a home run cycle is – in and of itself – insanely rare. It is not only incumbent upon those batting in front of you getting on base, but doing so in one, two and three base-runner fashion, this in addition to having no one on base in front of you at least once. But home-run-cycle notwithstanding, was hitting four home runs in a game also on Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ mind?

“It was a special night and you could see I was trying to keep him in there and get him his fourth and fifth at-bat,” Roberts said. “But man … the guy, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark anywhere. He’s swinging at strikes and taking balls.”

In addition to almost setting a near impossible MLB record, Seager is also now within two home runs of tying the Dodgers franchise record for most home runs by a Dodger shortstop.

Worthy of mention is that Dodgers rookie phenom first baseman Cody Bellinger and catcher Yasmani Grandal also homered in Tuesday’s lopsided win. In fact, Bellinger continued to build on his record of most home runs in the fewest number of games with his two-run blast, also in the first inning. It was his NL-best 22nd home run in his first 52 games.

In addition to adding to his record for most home runs to begin his career, Bellinger’s two-run shot on Tuesday night was also his 10th home run in 10 games. The only other Dodger to accomplish this remarkable feat was Shawn Green in May of 2002. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Also worthy of mention, although not Dodgers related, is that Corey Seager’s older brother – Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager – hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th inning on Tuesday night to give the Mariners a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. One can only imagine how proud (and excited) Jeff and Jody Seager are of their sons.