MLB Makes Historic Home Run Announcement Following Giants Walk-Off Win originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Home runs in Major League Baseball have always seemed to be the centerpiece of excitement in baseball. Other plays can dazzle fanatics of the sport, but home runs draw a different level of attention to spectators.
Advertisement
On Tuesday night, 44 home runs were hit across 15 MLB games played. Of these 44 blasts, two of them were inside-the-park home runs.
The first was hit by the Athletics’ Lawrence Butler, to leadoff a 10-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The second was a walk-off blast hit by Patrick Bailey, earning a 4-3 victory for his San Francisco Giants over the Philadelphia Phillies.
According to @OptaSTATS on X, Butler and Bailey became the first players in MLB history to hit leadoff and walk-off inside-the-park home runs on the same day. MLB’s official X account was quick to make the historic announcement.
Advertisement
Butler hit two home runs on the night, bringing his total on the season to 13. The first was the historic leadoff home run, hit off Didier Fuentes of the Braves. Fuentes would give up eight runs in the first inning against the Athletics.
Butler would hit his second home run of the night, of the traditional over the fence variety, off 41-year-old, Jesse Chavez.
Bailey’s walk-off blast was just his second home run on the season. Bailey hit his historic inside-the-park home run off Jordan Romano.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) dumps powerade on catcher Patrick Bailey (14) as Bailey is interviewed after hitting a three-run home run during the ninth inning for a walk-off win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Bailey made two pieces of history with his ninth inning, walk-off blast. Bailey became the first catcher, in 99 years, to hit an inside-the-park home run. According to Baseball Reference, the last catcher to hit an inside-the-park home run was Bennie Tate, of the Washington Nationals, in 1926.
Advertisement
With the Giants victory, they have now won four straight games, the longest active winning streak in the National League.
Related: MLB Makes Historical Home Run Announcement During Yankees-Orioles
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.