Houston, we have liftoff. Well, not for the Astros but for the MLB's hottest team since the All-Star break.
One Arizona Diamondback launched three big home runs off Houston's pitchers Sunday.
Pavin Smith got things going with a three-run bomb off the right field foul pole, giving the D-backs an early 3-0 lead.
Pavin off the pole in prime time. pic.twitter.com/H3RgtKMZVx
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 8, 2024
Verlander eventually got out of the inning but he had already seen all the D-backs batters once through, so the bleeding would probably stop in the third, right?
Wrong. After giving up another run, Verlander faced Smith once more who decided the left field seats deserved a souvenir of their own and smashed a ball out that direction for a grand slam, doubling Arizona's lead to 8-0.
PRIME. TIME. PAVIN. pic.twitter.com/U6ocfrImRq
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 8, 2024
But Smith wasn't done, no sir. In the top of the fifth inning — with Verlander done for the night — Smith took Houston reliever Kaleb Ort to right field for his third homer of the night. Arizona led 9-2.
The redhead is red hot! pic.twitter.com/wCCjTMcTQ3
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 9, 2024
With that mash, Smith became the third Arizona player all-time and the first since 2017 to record eight or more RBI in a game. He had four homers and 18 RBI this season entering Sunday.
Had Smith also hit a two-run homer he would've become the first player in MLB history to hit for the home run cycle. But he struck out and walked in his final at-bats with Arizona topping Houston, 12-6.
Smith certainly wasn't the Arizona athlete desert sports fans were expecting to make "SportsCenter" on Sunday.
The first baseman recorded more homeruns (three) than rookie Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had catches (one) in his season-opener.
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