Joc Pederson’s two-run homer in the fourth inning on Wednesday night pulled the Los Angeles Dodgers in even with the San Diego Padres in a slugfest at Petco Park. The Padres went on for a 6-5 win, handing the Dodgers a second straight loss.
Pederson’s home run was his seventh in September and 25th this season. Pederson and Duke Snider are the only players in franchise history with two 25-home run seasons before turning 25 years old; the young center fielder slugged 26 homers last season.
What’s more, Pederson joined Justin Turner (27 home runs), Yasmani Grandal (27) and Corey Seager (26) as Dodgers with at least 25 homers this season.
It’s the fourth time in franchise history a quartet has clubbed a minimum of 25 home runs in a single season. The last group to do so was Mike Piazza (40), Eric Karros (31), Todd Zeile (31) and Raul Mondesi (30) in 1997.
Prior to that, Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), Ron Cey (30) and Dusty Baker (30) accomplished the feat. They also reached a more prestigious honor as the Dodgers became the first team in Major League Baseball history with four players to hit at least 30 homers.
Baker was the last of the group to reach the benchmark, doing so in the sixth inning on Oct. 2, 1977, the final day of the regular season.
In 1995, the Brooklyn Dodgers were led by Snider (42 home runs), Roy Campanella (32), Gil Hodges (27) and Carl Furillo (26). Campanella won the last of three career MVP Awards that season, with Snider finishing as the runner-up. The 1955 season of course also marks the first year the Dodgers won the World Series.
