In team history, only five players have had at least two three-home-run games: Betts, Williams, Mo Vaughn, Jim Rice, and Nomar Garciaparra, the latter three having done it exactly twice. Famously, Garciaparra had two grand slams and ten RBI in his first game and totaled three slams and 18 RBI over his two games; in comparison, Betts has 19 RBI over his four games. Other Red Sox players who have had at least one grand slam in a three-home-run game include Williams, Norm Zauchin, Jim Tabor (two in his one game), Bill Mueller (two in his one game), and Jack Clark.

Betts also joins some elite company in Major League Baseball as one of only 17 players to have four or more three-home-run games. The current record is six games, which is held by Sammy Sosa and Johnny Mize. Five players have done it five times: Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Dave Kingman, Carlos Delgado, and Joe Carter. After that, tied with Betts with four games each are Willie Stargell, Aramis Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Larry Parrish, Ralph Kiner, Lou Gehrig, Steve Finley, Barry Bonds, and Ernie Banks.

Of these players, only Delgado and Gehrig hit four home runs in a game, a high water mark held collectively by 16 major league players; no Red Sox player has ever accomplished this rare feat.

In team history, 18 other players have hit at least three home runs in a game, including two current teammates, Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia. Ramirez accomplished the feat on 20 July 2016 against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park, while Pedroia hit three in a game back on 24 June 2010 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Of note: of all MLB players who have had multiple three home run games, not one has done it for Boston and at least one other team.

Following Will Middlebrooks‘ offensive barrage in today’s 13-0 win over the Blue Jays, in which the young Red Sox third baseman hit three home runs and a double, there are now six players in Boston team history since 1916 with at least 14 TB in one game.

Player             Date        Opp  Rslt     PA  AB  H  2B  3B  HR  TB
Fred Lynn          1975-06-18  DET  W,15-1   6   6   5  0   1   3   16
Dustin Pedroia     2010-06-24  COL  W,13-11  6   5   5  1   0   3   15
John Valentin      1995-06-02  SEA  W,6-5    5   5   5  1   0   3   15
Will Middlebrooks  2013-04-07  TOR  W,13-0   5   5   4  1   0   3   14
Carl Yastrzemski   1965-05-14  DET  L,8-12   6   5   5  1   1   2   14
Norm Zauchin       1955-05-27  WSH  W,16-0   5   5   4  1   0   3   14

Lynn and Zauchin both finished with 10 RBI, while Valentin finished with just three (three solo home runs); Middlebrooks finished the afternoon with four RBI after two solo shots and a two-run blast, while Pedroia and Yaz each collected five RBI. The latter two players also each recorded a walk to add to their line, though walks do not count as the statistic only represents bases reached by a hit.

Yaz is the only player on the list to hit less than three home runs; his total was made possible as he hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, and home run in one game) while adding a second home run to his totals.  Unfortunately, he is the only player on the list whose Red Sox team lost that day.

Lynn’s record-setting day include two three-run home runs, a two-run shot, and a two-run triple to go with a single.  It was part of a big summer for the young center fielder as he would win both American League Rookie of the Year honors and the Most Valuable Player Award.

Zauchin, who had his one big year in the sun as the starting Red Sox third baseman in 1955, hit a two-run home run, a three-run home run, and a grand slam to go with an RBI double.  He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year vote that season, but played in just 96 games over his next two seasons before being traded to the Washington Senators with minor leaguer Albie Pearson in exchange for future Red Sox All-Star second baseman Pete Runnels.