Adrian Gonzalez Ends Up On Wrong End Of Rare Accomplishment
Adrian Gonzalez entered Sunday’s game as the driving force behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and riding a 13-game winning streak. He set a Major-League record by hitting five home runs in the Dodgers’ first three games of the season and began the day leading the Majors in RBIs, among other categories.
For as much as Gonzalez has accomplished in the first two weeks of the regular season, Sunday was a reminder of how cruel baseball can be. He finished the day an eye-opening 0-for-5, recorded the third out in each of his at-bats and watched as his teammates powered the Dodgers to a 7-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Gonzalez asked in the clubhouse postgame if he had set a record and according to AM 570’s David Vassegh, he’s the first player to have accomplished the rare feat since Marlon Byrd in 2011:
Per Elias..Last player to make the 3rd Out 5 times in a game was Marlon Byrd on 8/26/2011. What else will @AdrianTitan23 do this April?
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 20, 2015
Gonzalez grounded out in the first inning and again in the third, though the latter was an RBI situation with Justin Turner in scoring position after hitting a double. Then with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Gonzalez missed an opportunity to blow the game open as he fouled out.
The 12-year veteran again left Turner stranded in the sixth after the utility man hit an RBI double as part of a five-run inning for the Dodgers. Gonzalez’s final at-bat came in the eighth and ended in a fly out.
Despite going 0-for-5, Gonzalez finished the day leading the Majors in total hits (23), doubles (eight — robbed by Yasiel Puig of a ninth on Saturday), batting average (.469), on-base percentage (.527) and slugging percentage (.939).
[divide]Adrian Gonzalez Discusses Approach To Hitting
Come on guys, we can do better!
It’s 5 home runs in the first 3 games, not 3 home runs in the first 5 games.
And they have played 13 games with a 9-4 record. No idea where this 13 game winning streak that they supposedly started the day with came from. You need some better fact checkers.