Rookie outfielder Gregory Polanco played hero for the Pirates last night and made some history along the way.
Playing in just his fourth major league game, Polanco went 5-for-7 with a go-ahead two run homer and three runs scored in an 8-6 win over the Marlins in 13 innings. He had singles in the first, fifth, sixth, and eighth innings before going deep in the 13th. Check out the video of his first major league home run below:
[mlbvideo id="33699077" width="400" height="224" /]
OK, so here’s the history part. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Polanco collected five hits and a home run in a game quicker than any player in the modern era (since 1900). Mike Lansing was the previous record-holder, as he had five hits and a home run in his fifth major league game in 1993. Meanwhile, Polanco is the first player with a five-hit game within the first four games of his career since Cecil Travis did it for the Washington Senators in his major league debut back on May 16, 1933. We’re talking about 81 years, folks.
While it’s still fair to ask if the Pirates should have considered calling him up sooner, he’s been worth the wait so far.