Sports

Gordon hits 5,694th HR of season

September 20, 2017
FILE - In this Tuesday, April 18, 2017 file photo, Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon advances to third base on a fly out by Lorenzo Cain during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City's Alex Gordon hit Major League Baseball's record 5,694th home run of 2017 on Tuesday night, Sept. 19, 2017 breaking a season record set in 2000 at the height of the Steroids Era. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday, April 18, 2017 file photo, Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon advances to third base on a fly out by Lorenzo Cain during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City's Alex Gordon hit Major League Baseball's record 5,694th home run of 2017 on Tuesday night, Sept. 19, 2017 breaking a season record set in 2000 at the height of the Steroids Era. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

TORONTO — Alex Gordon of Kansas City Royals broke Major League Baseball’s season home run record with 12 days to spare, hitting the 5,694th long ball of 2017 Tuesday night.

Gordon’s home run off Toronto Blue jays’ reliever Ryan Tepera broke a mark set in 2000 at the height of the Steroids Era. The drive, which drove in the last run in the Royals’ 5-2 loss, was his eighth this season and the 159th of his 11-year big league career.

“A pretty cool thing to be a part of,” Gordon said. “I didn’t hit many this year, but I guess I made one count.”

It was the 17th home run of the night in the major leagues and came just after Detroit’s Alex Presley tied the record when he connected at home against Oakland’s Daniel Gossett.

Gordon said he heard talk of the record on a clubhouse television after Toronto’s Darwin Barney homered in the sixth.

“I was kind of aware that we were getting close to it,” he said. “After I walked back to the dugout. I kind of forgot about it.”

Holding the ball he hit over the right-field wall, Gordon said he didn’t plan to keep the historic memento or anything else from the game.

“I’m going to give it to Cooperstown,” Gordon said. “I figured they’d probably have much more reason to have it than I do.”

There were 5,610 homers last year, an average of 2.31 per game, and this year’s average of 2.53 entering Tuesday’s action projects to 6,139. That would be up 47 percent from 4,186 in 2014.

Power subsided after the start of drug testing with penalties in 2004. The home run average dropped in 2014 to its lowest level since 1992, then started rising during the second half of the 2015 season.

When the previous record of 5,693 was set in 2000, Sammy Sosa led the major leagues with 50 home runs and Barry Bonds hit 49.

Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton leads the major leagues with 55 home runs this year, followed by New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge with 44.

Phillies 6, Dodgers 2: Rhys Hoskins delivered a bases-clearing, two-out double in the seventh inning to lift Philadelphia past Los Angeles.

It was another stellar night at the plate for Hoskins, a 24-year-old first baseman. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs, raising his average to .299 with 43 RBIs (and 18 home runs) in his first 39 career games.

Cubs 2, Rays 1: Mike Montgomery took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and Chicago manager Joe Maddon won in his return to Tropicana Field as the Cubs claimed their seventh straight victory, holding the Tampa Bay Rays to one hit in a 2-1 win.

Red Sox 1, Orioles 0 (11 innings): Jackie Bradley Jr. scored on a Brad Brach wild pitch with two outs in the top of the 11th inning as Boston improved to 15-3 in extra-inning games this season.

Yankees 5, Twins 2: CC Sabathia pitched six solid innings as New York widened its lead in the AL wild-card race over Minnesota.

After the first pitch was delayed 65 minutes by heavy rain, Sabathia (12-5) helped the Yankees take a six-game lead over the Twins and remain three games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

Giants 4, Rockies 3: Hunter Pence’s sacrifice fly to center field scored pinch runner Orlando Calixte with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as San Francisco defeated Colorado.

Brewers 1, Pirates 0: Domingo Santana’s solo home run held up as Milwaukee edged Pittsburgh.

Santana’s homer, his 26th of the season, just cleared the short wall near the left field foul pole in the fourth inning. It traveled only 338 feet and was the only damage the Brewers could muster against Pirates starter Trevor Williams (6-9).

Indians 6, Angels 3: Austin Jackson had four hits, and Roberto Perez had two hits including a home run as Cleveland defeated Los Angeles for its 25th victory in its last 26 games.

Astros 3, White Sox 1: Jose Altuve matched his career high for home runs, and a four-man bullpen turned in an exceptional performance in Houston’s victory over Chicago.

Nationals 4, Braves 2: Ryan Zimmerman’s three hits were the centerpiece of an 11-hit attack and supported seven strong innings from starter Max Scherzer as Washington beat Atlanta.

Padres 6, Diamondbacks 2: Travis Wood gave up only a pair of A.J. Pollock solo homers over six innings and added a two-run, two-out single to lead San Diego past Arizona.

Rangers 3, Mariners 1: Shin-Soo Choo broke open a tie game with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and Elvis Andrus added an RBI single as Texas defeated Seattle.

Cardinals 8, Reds 7 (10 innings): Dexter Fowler tied the score with a solo home run in the eighth inning and drove home the go-ahead run with a double in the 10th to lift St. Louis over Cincinnati.

Marlins 5, Mets 4 (10 innings): J.T. Realmuto hit a walk-off homer in the 10th inning as Miami rallied to defeat New York.

Realmuto’s homer, off reliever Paul Sewald (0-6), was his 17th of the season.

Athletics 9, Tigers 8: Jed Lowrie hit a go-ahead grand slam and drove in five runs, and Matt Olson homered for the fifth straight game to power Oakland past Detroit. — Agencies


September 20, 2017
HIGHLIGHTS
Sports
5 days ago

Neom FC clinches First Division spot with a thrilling victory over Al Zulfi

Sports
5 days ago

Hiba Al Owaidi becomes first female main referee in Saudi Women's League

Sports
6 days ago

Salem Al Dawsari's goal secures Saudi victory over Tajikistan in World Cup qualifiers