With Cody Bellinger hitting a home run in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, Cody Bellinger reached 88 total bases to break Chase Utley’s record for most all-time before the month of May.
Bellinger’s blast additionally gave the Dodgers 33 consecutive home games with at least one home run, which broke the MLB record previously set by the 1999 Colorado Rockies.
Utley had 85 total bases during March and April games played with the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2008 season. He did so behind 18 singles, 10 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs over 28 games, all of which were starts.
Bellinger overtook his former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate by hitting 21 singles, six doubles, one triple and 13 home runs in 27 games (26 starts). The feat is Bellinger’s latest accomplishment in what’s been a record-setting start to the 2019 season.
He previously reached 69 career home runs with a grand slam off longtime San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, which broke Mike Piazza’s Dodgers record for most homers through the first 300 games of a career.
“It feels pretty special,” Bellinger said at the time. “It’s crazy that I already have 300 games under my belt. It feels like it happened yesterday. Feeling good and just trying to carry it on.”
Two games later, Bellinger reached six home runs and 16 RBI, putting him in elite company with Atlanta Braves’ Eddie Mathews (1953) and New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez (2007) as the only players in Major League history to do that in the first eight games of a season.
For all his impact made at the plate, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently lauded Bellinger’s contributions in the field as well. While additionally noting Bellinger’s ability and willingness to take a walk, Roberts touted his all-around play as that of a perennial All-Star.
Bellinger entered play Friday leading the Majors in runs scored, hits, RBI, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging and OPS+. His 12 home runs were second only to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich.
