Arizona Diamondbacks Single-game Performance of the Year: J.D Martinez, 4 HR vs. LAD

#1. Two-run homer off Rich Hill (392 feet)

#2. Solo home-run off Pedro Baez (419 feet)

#3. Solo home-run off Josh Fields (420 feet)

#4. Two-run homer off Wilmer Font (443 feet)

In a season of “unlikelies”, this was the most unlikely event of them all. Only 18 men have had a four-run game in the major leagues. For comparison: that’s just six more than have ever walked on the moon. Those in the former category now include J.D. Martinez, but even six innings into that night in Dodger Stadium, you would have got extremely long odds on anything like that happening. Sure, the game was going well for the Diamondbacks - they were 2-0 up, thanks to J.D’s first long-ball. With only nine outs left, it seemed highly questionable at that point whether Martinez would even get three more at-bats, never mind homer in each of them.

Yet that is exactly what he did, as the Diamondbacks exploded for eleven runs over the last three innings, including five home-runs. When he hit his third, I was driving home from work, and Mrs. SnakePit asked me if anyone had ever hit four. I said yes, and as Brandon Drury followed Martinez by grounding out for the second out of the eighth, I added that it probably wouldn’t happen here. But unlikely heroes, in the form of Adam Rosales, Rey Fuentes and Kristopher Negron all getting on base, gave Martinez another shot in the ninth.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had an opportunity to make history: he’d come up in the ninth, having already hit three homers, at Yankee Stadium in June 2015. He remembered, "In my last at-bat, I started thinking about it and that's when it didn't happen.” Here, it did. In fact, Martinez saved the best for last, crushing a 1-0 pitch deep to left for a no-doubter, giving him a total of 1,674 feet of home-runs on the night. "I was like, just go up here and try to have a good at-bat. Just keep doing what you've been doing all day. You know what, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. It's going to happen. There's no point in trying to force it.”

His teammates were in awe: Pollock said "I'm watching his swing and I'm thinking if this is a strike I think this is a homer. It's obviously the most impressive thing I've ever been a part of. It was awesome." Torey Lovullo concurred: "We were part of history. You can't believe it after it keeps happening — second, third and finally the fourth time. It was amazing. J.D. works as hard as anybody at his swing, perfecting his craft, and he deserves that moment." Martinez was the first modern era hitter with a home-run in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings of the same game, the first 4-HR game at Dodger Stadium and it was the first 4-HR game where the opposing team had fewer hits.

Even the bullpen pitchers were impressed:

Previous winners

• 2007: Micah Owings hits and pitches, 8/18 vs. ATL
• 2008: Conor Jackson runs through the cycle, 4/18 vs. SDG
• 2009: B-bullpen no-hits the Padres for nine innings, 6/7 vs SDP
• 2010: Edwin Jackson, no-hitter vs. Tampa Bay, 6/25 vs. TBR
• 2011: Ian Kennedy complete-game, 4/25 vs. PHI
• 2012: Aaron Hill's cycle #2, 6/29 vs. MIL
• 2013: Paul Goldschmidt tying HR in 9th, walk-off HR in 11th, 8/13 vs. BAL
• 2014: Josh Collmenter's imperfect game, 5/29 vs. CIN
• 2015: Josh Collmenter, complete-game shutout + three hits, 4/17 vs. SFG
• 2016: Jake Lamb is clutch, 7/16 vs. LAD