Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Altuve hit historic homers
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Staff Reports, Staff reports
- September 6, 2023
Stanton hits 400th, Altuve hits four blasts in as many at-bats
Although he has Puerto Rican roots, Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t speak Spanish well. So the Yankees’ slugger used an interpreter in the Bronx during his exchange with the Latino fan who caught his 400th career homer on Tuesday.
Venezuelan Jose Altuve didn’t need an interpreter after his performance for the Astros in Arlington.
Stanton hit his momentous homer in the Bronx to help the Yankees keep their playoff hopes alive. Altuve torched the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, with a historic onslaught to put the Astros back atop the AL West.
Jose Altuve joins elite crew
Altuve became just the third player in baseball history to hit a home run in each of the first three innings of a game. He joined perennial All-Star Manny Machado and Carl Reynolds.
Machado accomplished the feat on Aug. 7, 2016, with the Baltimore Orioles. Reynolds, who is buried about an hour away from Houston in Wharton County, became the first player to hit three home runs in the first three innings on July 2, 1930, with the White Sox.
More impressively, Altuve actually hit four homers over four consecutive at-bats, dating back to the home run he hit in his last at-bat Monday afternoon against the Rangers.
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“I’m very happy obviously because that has helped us win the game,” Altuve told an Our Esquina correspondent in Spanish. “We’re in a very important series for the team. We need a victory like this one.”
With the 14-1 victory over the Rangers, the defending World Series champs moved atop the AL West standings for the first time this season.
Altuve also became just the 11th native of Venezuela to have a three-home run game in the majors. There have been 14 three-home run games in the majors by Venezuelans. Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Carlos Gonzalez each accomplished the feat twice.
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Stanton, 33, became the 58th player in major league history to hit 400 home runs. His 451-foot, two-run blast in the sixth inning gave the Yankees the lead for good in the 5-1 victory over the Tigers.
“It’s a pretty cool feat,” Stanton told the New York media. “I didn’t have a number in mind when I first started this game, but it’s pretty cool to be here now.”
Stanton visited with the fan who caught the home run ball. He exchanged signed baseballs and bats for the memento.
“The guy made a great catch on it,” Stanton said. “I just met him outside. Gave him and his family balls and bats and talked to him a little bit there. They don’t speak too good of English. And I don’t speak Spanish.
“So we had an interpreter. It was cool to be able to meet him and get that exchange.”
Staff Reports
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