On August 22, 2000, Eric Karros set a franchise record while leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 14-6 win over the Montreal Expos.
The Dodgers entered the sixth inning with a 5-2 lead, but the Expos scored three runs to tie the game. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Dodgers came back with a nine-run inning to take a 14-5 lead.
The rally was both started and capped off by Karros, who blasted two home runs in the bottom of the sixth, making him the first player in the 111-year history of the Dodgers to hit two long balls in the same inning.
His first homer was to lead off the inning against Julio Santana, who had just entered the game. It came on a 2-0 count and increased the Dodgers’ win probability by 16% to 74%.
The Dodgers then batted around as Karros once again came up to the plate, this time with an 11-5 lead. With runners on second and third base with one out, Karros drove another ball out of the park to complete the nine-run inning and give L.A. its 14th run.
The three-run shot also increased the Dodgers’ win probability from 99% to 100%, meaning Karros increased the team’s chances of winning the game by 17% in that inning alone.
The two home runs were the 29th and 30th for Karros that season. In addition, the performance made Karros the 34th player in MLB history to hit two home runs in one inning, and it was his 17th career multi-homer game.
Karros finished the 2000 season hitting .250/.321/.459 with 31 home runs, 106 RBI and 84 runs scored across 155 games. In his 12 years with the Dodgers, he batted .268/.325/.457 with 270 home runs, which ranks as the top all-time among players in L.A. franchise history.
Only Duke Snider (389) and Gil Hodges (361) hit more home runs in a Dodgers uniform, with the majority of those coming while the club was still in Brooklyn.
After 2000, Karros spent two more seasons with the Dodgers before playing one year each with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics. He retired following the 2004 season with 14 years played.
Karros retired as a .268/.325/.454 hitter with 284 home runs nd 1,027 RBI in 1,755 games.
Dodgers drafted Eric Karros’ son Jared
During the 2022 MLB Draft, the Dodgers selected Jared Karros, the son of Eric, with their 16th-round pick (No. 495 overall selection) out of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Jared grew up as a Dodgers fan and was excited to join the organization.
The right-hander has been pitching for the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, posting a 4.31 ERA in 64.2 innings. In July, he was honored as the California Pitcher of the Week.
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