Yasmani Grandal hit a leadoff home run in the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers make franchise history. Grandal is the team’s sixth player to hit at least 20 home runs this season.
He’s joined by Cody Bellinger (38 home runs), Yasiel Puig (26), Justin Turner (21), Corey Seager (20) and Chris Taylor (20). The Dodgers twice had five players hit a minimum of 20 homers — in 1979 and 2000.
The record was set by Ron Cey (28 home runs), Steve Garvey (28), Davey Lopes (28), Dusty Baker (23) and Joe Ferguson (20).
It was tied 21 years later by a quintuplet consisting of Gary Sheffield (43), Eric Karros (31), Shawn Green (24), Todd Hundley (24) and Adrian Beltre (20).
Bellinger leads the Dodgers this season with 38 home runs. He’s one shy of breaking the National League rookie record for most homers.
Puig’s 26 home runs are a career high, besting the 19 he hit as a rookie in 2013. Turner is likely to finish shy of matching or exceeding his personal best of 27 homers, set last season.
Much like in 2016, he overcame a slow start and heated up as the year wore on. Through May 31, Turner had hit just one home run. Seager has battled a sore right elbow over the past few weeks, yet still produced a season similar to that of his Rookie of the Year campaign.
Seager’s slugging percentage is down, while his on-base percentage has increased. As for Taylor, has cooled of late but nonetheless put together a career season.
Prior to 2017, he’d hit just one home run — a grand slam last year at Chase Field. Taylor not only has emerged as a power hitter but he’s also solidified the top of the lineup for the Dodgers.
Grandal has been mired in a long slump, and the home run Tuesday night was his first since Sept. 5.
