Strengthening their winning streak to four games, the Arizona Diamondbacks set a new MLB record in the 1st inning of their victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Corbin Carroll led off the inning with a triple down the right-field gap, ultimately scoring on a fielding error, giving Arizona a 1-0 lead with a “little league home run.”
The real home run parade then began. Ketel Marte launched a 440-foot bomb, followed by Joc Pederson, who hit a ball into the Allegheny River in right field. Finally, Josh Bell, on the first pitch he saw in a Diamondbacks uniform, made it three straight home runs, all hammered to right field.
The combined 15 total bases by Carroll, Marte, Pederson, and Bell set a new major league record for the first four batters to start a game, according to @OptaStats.
The @Dbacks to begin tonight's game:
Triple (Carroll)
Home run (Marte)
Home run (Pederson)
Home run (Bell)That's the most total bases (15) by a team's first 4 batters of a game in MLB history. pic.twitter.com/Xe3NtPENb7
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 3, 2024
Later in the game, both Ketel Marte and Josh Bell hit another pair of home runs, helping Arizona regain the lead after trailing 7-6.
This season, the Diamondbacks are second only to the Yankees in runs scored. They also rank in the top five in slugging percentage, OPS, and batting average.
With his two home runs on Friday, Ketel Marte is now third in the National League, behind Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna.
Over the past 30 days, the Diamondbacks lead all teams in runs, and rank third in hits, on-base percentage (OBP), and OPS. They also hold the best record in baseball during this span.
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