MLB's Scooter Gennett Calls 4-Homer Game 'Surreal,' And Others Agree

Pro baseball saw something Tuesday night it hadn't seen since 2012, after the Cincinnati Reds' Scooter Gennett hit four home runs in a nine-inning game. He became the 17th player in MLB history to hit four homers in one game — an outing he called "surreal."

"For a guy like me to do that, it's amazing. It's maybe a little short of a miracle ," Gennett, who is listed at 5 feet, 10 inches and 185 pounds, said after the game. "But I'm just blessed, man. Baseball's an amazing game."

Gennett started his night by hitting a grand slam; by the end of what became a blowout win over the rival St. Louis Cardinals, he had more than doubled his home run production for the year, to seven. He went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate and finished the game with 10 runs batted in.

As ESPN's Sports Center notes, Gennett was responsible for more runs than 24 of the 30 MLB teams that played Tuesday night — "he scorched the entire sport," the show said via Twitter.

The record performance came at the right time and in the right place for Gennett, 27, who was born in Cincinnati and joined the Reds after spring training, when he was put on waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers.

By signing Gennett, the Reds were seen as bringing in a solid bench player who could play a variety of positions. The team now has the first player in its storied history to smack four dingers in one game.

The outburst followed an 0-for-19 streak of recent offensive futility for Gennett.

"None of this was supposed to happen," Deadspin writes.

"Gennett's 17 total bases are tied with Gil Hodges and Mike Schmidt for the third most since at least 1913," MLB.com notes.

In its headline about the feat, the Cincinnati vs. Everyone site clarified, "no typo here."

Gennett broke into the big leagues with the Brewers as a second baseman back in 2013. In 2015, he further endeared himself to fans in Wisconsin by using an off-day to get married at a brewery.

If you're wondering about his name, Gennett — born Ryan Joseph Gennett — has said he chose the nickname Scooter for himself as a kid, after his favorite Muppets character.

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