UPDATE: Shea Langeliers made history on Tuesday night as he became the fourth catcher in Major League Baseball history to achieve two career three-home run games. The Athletics star led his team to a staggering 16-7 victory over the Washington Nationals, hitting three home runs in a single game for the second time in his career.
Langeliers, batting leadoff for the first time, wasted no time making an impact. He launched a homer off Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore to kick off the game, setting the tone early. His second home run came in the fifth inning against Orlando Ribalta, and he completed his historic night with another leadoff homer in the seventh off Andry Lara.
This remarkable achievement places Langeliers alongside legends Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, and Travis d’Arnaud as the only catchers to have two games with three home runs. Notably, Langeliers is the first catcher to accomplish a three-homer game from the leadoff spot, bringing his season total to an impressive 22 home runs.
In addition to his home runs, the 27-year-old athlete added a double in the eighth inning, finishing the night with a staggering 5 for 6 performance, including three RBIs, four runs scored, and 15 total bases. These numbers not only mark career highs for Langeliers but also tie for the most total bases by a catcher in a single game since 1900, matching records set by Walker Cooper in 1949 and Wes Westrum in 1950.
This explosive performance comes just two weeks after Langeliers’ teammate, Nick Kurtz, made headlines by hitting four home runs in a game and matching the MLB record with 19 total bases. Together, they are the first pair of teammates since 1900 to each have games with 15 or more total bases in the same season.
The Athletics collectively delivered a season-high 24 hits during this game, with Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday contributing four hits each. This marks the first time since 1979 that the Athletics have had three players achieve four or more hits in a single game.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Langeliers as he continues to break records and make history on the field. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see what he will accomplish next in this thrilling MLB season.