Nats make history with four straight HRs in 8th

The Washington Nationals hit four consecutive home runs in the eighth inning Sunday, becoming the first franchise in major league history to accomplish the feat multiple times.

With the score tied 1-1 and one out in the eighth, Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers off San Diego Padres reliever Craig Stammen.

The four homers off Stammen came in a span of seven pitches.

Kendrick's homer, which came with him pinch hitting, traveled 421 feet to left field. Turner and Eaton both homered to center, with the long balls traveling 421 feet and 402 feet, respectively. Eaton's shot traveled 391 feet to right field.

The Nationals also hit four consecutive home runs on July 27, 2017, against the Milwaukee Brewers. The feat has been accomplished nine times in MLB history.

Sunday's outburst surprised everyone.

"It's just one of those things. If you know how that happens and how you can hit four in a row again, let me know because we'll write a book, and we'll be rich,'' Eaton said. "That play is contagious, when Howie did it, then Trea comes up and does the same thing, and then for me. If you could say four home runs, I would never be in that mix anywhere -- the first one, the last one, the middle, anything to keep it going. I was happy I was in there. It's a pretty cool experience.''

"Nobody expected four home runs in a row, but we'll take it,'' Kendrick said. "We take anything we can get, and as long as we get a W, that's what's important.''

Turner said it was exciting.

"I think we were pretty fired up when Howie hit his just because that gave us the lead, and runs were hard to come by today," he said. "We were excited for that one, but to do it three more times after that was pretty cool.''

Said Rendon: "You don't want to be the one that doesn't hit the home run. It's just crazy. Glad we were on this side of it and not on the other side of it.''

Manager Dave Martinez said he "liked the first one for sure. It put us ahead. Then it was wow, wow and wow. I was happy for [starter Stephen] Strasburg, because he pitched an unbelievable game.''

Stammen allowed just three home runs all of last season in 79 innings. After Sunday's performance, he has allowed nine homers in 33⅔ innings this season.

Stammen said he thinks he became predictable and wondered whether he was tipping pitches. He said there were a few pitches that he thought "weren't that bad that they smoked.''

"It could be anything. There's many different reasons. That's never happened to me before,'' he said. "I wish I could explain. It's not fun to go through. I guess you can say it happens, but I'm going to have to figure something out and get a little bit better.''
