Pittsburgh Pirates’ Zack Swinski (25) rubbed shoulders with “San Francisco legend” Barry Bonds.
Swinsky started in center field, batting fourth, and went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two home runs, two runs scored, and two RBIs against San Francisco on Tuesday at Oracle Park in California, USA. The team went 4-14, but he did his part in the center field lineup.
On the day, Swinski hit two home runs, both of which were so-called “splash hits” that landed in McCovey Bay in right field. It’s a trademark of Oracle Park that when a home run is hit into McCovey Bay, people on yachts pick up the ball. However, it’s a tough ballpark to hit a home run in, so there aren’t many splash hits. In fact, only McCovey hit two home runs in one day.
“Swinsky became the only player other than Bonds to homer off McCovey twice in the same game,” said MLB.com, the official website of Major 메이저놀이터 League Baseball (MLB). “Bonds did it twice before, against Andy Benes and Heathcliff Slocum on May 10, 2000, against the St. Louis Cardinals, and against Brad Penny and Vic Darrensburg on May 18, 2002, against the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins).
“There have been 155 total splash hits in the regular season and postseason,” ESPN said, “Swinski’s homers are the 55th and 56th splash hits by an away player. San Francisco players have 99 total this year, including two by Lamont Wade Jr. and Brandon Crawford.
Oracle Park opened in 2000 as Pacific Bell Park. Bonds, who retired in 2007, leads the category with 35 splash hits, including Nos. 1-9. Bryson Stott (Philadelphia Phillies) was the only foreign player to hit a splash hit last year. Choi Hee-seop (Florida) in April 2004 and Choo Shin-soo (Texas Rangers) in August 2020 are the only other Korean players to have hit a splash hit. They were the 6th and 50th in their respective away careers.
Swinski, meanwhile, is a second-year outfielder who made his big league debut last year. In his first season, he exploded for 19 home runs. His batting average is .202, and this season hasn’t been much different. He’s batting .239 in 45 games. But he already has 11 home runs and a .521 on-base percentage. Even at Oracle Park, which is notoriously tough on hitters, he’s been swinging the bat.