Sunday will be a Father's Day to remember for Jack Suwinski, homering three times, including a walk-off, to beat the Giants, 4-3.
"I was just like, 'no way, man,' " Suwinski said with a huge smile about the third homer. "No way that's going."
It did:
WE ARE ALL WITNESSES!!!!! #RAISEIT pic.twitter.com/t7BJjH7Ftz
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 19, 2022
It was a historic performance, one that is worth a deeper dive into Pirates history.
• Suwinski is the second Pirate rookie to ever hit three home runs in a game, the other being Andrew McCutchen on August 1, 2009.
• The only Pirates to ever hit three homers in a game at a younger age than Suwinski (23 years, 325 days) are McCutchen (22 years, 295 days) and Aramis Ramirez on April 8, 2001 (22 years, 287 days).
• He is the first rookie in baseball history with three home runs in a game, including the walk-off, via Stats By STATS.
• Suwinski also hit a walk-off on June 4 to beat the Diamondbacks. He is the eighth Pirate to hit multiple walk-off home runs in a season.
The other eight are:
Jacob Stallings (2021)
Starling Marte (2015)
Craig Wilson (2004)
Mark Smith (1997)
Frank Thomas (1953)
Ralph Kiner (1948, 1952)
Wally Westlake (1947)
Of that list, Westlake was the only other rookie.
• He is the first Pirate to ever hit three home runs in a game and a walk-off.
• Of his 11 home runs, six have come with two strikes. Since 2000, the only Pirate rookies with six or more homers in a season with two strikes are Jason Bay in 2004 (12), Jung Ho Kang in 2015 (7) and Pedro Alvarez in 2010 (6).
#Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski hit 3 home runs, including a walk-off while his dad was in the stands taking in the Father's Day ballgame. He spoke to the media, including our own @ChrisHalicke afterwards: pic.twitter.com/vSBhQLwlhM
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) June 19, 2022
• The last Pirate to record three homers in a game was Josh Bell on July 1, 2019 against the Cubs.
• The last major-league rookie to hit three or more in a game was Seby Zavala of the White Sox on July 31, 2021. The last National League rookie to do so was Mike Yastrzemski of the Giants on August 16, 2019.
• Suwinski is tied for fourth all-time for home runs among a Pirate rookie before the All-Star break.
The others are:
Bell, 2017 (16)
Kiner 1946 (15)
Bay 2004 (12)
Westlake 1947 (11)
• And Suwinski is the first Pirate to hit a walk off homer on Father's Day, and he got to do it in front of his dad, Tim:
Tim Suwinski was here to see his son hit three home runs on Father's Day! 🥺 pic.twitter.com/P8gYENK7WY
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 19, 2022
