The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a comeback effort to remain undefeated in four games against the Atlanta Braves this season, and in doing so set an MLB record thanks to another home run barrage.
It began with Cody Bellinger breaking a scoreless tie in the second inning by lifting a solo home run over the fence in right-center field. The homer was Bellinger’s 41st this season and fourth in the past five games.
Kenta Maeda quickly allowed the lead to slip away, and after Joc Pederson’s RBI single in the third inning, the Dodgers faced a deficit until the seventh. Braves rookie standout Mike Soroka was removed with two outs in the inning, and that arguably wound up being the turning point.
Sean Newcomb walked pinch-hitter Kyle Garlick to put two on, then surrendered a go-ahead home run to Max Muncy with two strikes. Muncy became the first Dodgers player with consecutive seasons of 30 home runs since Shawn Green from 2001-02.
Bellinger and Muncy are the first Dodgers teammates with 30-plus home runs in the same year since Green and Gary Sheffield in 2001.
Before Newcomb could regather himself, Justin Turner ambushed the first pitch he saw to give the Dodgers back-to-back home runs for the 14th time this season. Their final blast of the night came from Will Smith in the eighth inning, as his drive down the left-field line went off the foul pole.
With that, the Dodgers extended their MLB record to five consecutive games with at least four home runs. Furthermore, they additionally broke the all-time record with 22 home runs hit in a five-game span.
The mark was previously shared by the New York Yankees (August 2019 and May 2018), Cincinnati Reds (September 1999) and Boston Red Sox (June 1977), who each hit 21 homers in five games.
