Cody Bellinger matches Mike Piazza for Dodger home run rookie record

By Cary Osborne

Cody Bellinger swayed his front hip in to clear a path for him to drive down and then loop a Clayton Richard 88 MPH inside fastball into the seats beyond the right field wall at San Diego’s Petco Park in the top of the fourth inning on Saturday.

Thirty-five.

In the 105th game of his Major League career, in his 434th plate appearance, Bellinger hit his 35th homer of the season, tying Mike Piazza for the Dodger franchise record for home runs by a rookie.

“It was in the back of my mind,” Bellinger said of the record. “Obviously he was a great player, had a great career. So to be in the same sentence as him is pretty cool.”

Piazza hit his 35th homer in his 149th game in his 602nd and final at-bat of the 1993 season.

The home run gave the Dodgers a 2–1 lead at the time in a game they eventually lost 6–5 to the Padres.

Bellinger is now three home runs from tying the National League rookie record for home runs — a record co-owned by Wally Berger (1930) and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1956). He is 12th on Major League Baseball’s all-time list for home runs by a rookie.

The Dodgers have 28 games left in the season for Bellinger to break the franchise and National League record.

Mark McGwire owns the Major League rookie record with 49 homers, set in 1987.

Bellinger is slightly ahead of McGwire for the Major League record for at-bats per home run — 11.0 to 11.37.

Bellinger also collected his 80th and 81st RBI in the game and is now tied with Babe Herman (1926) for seventh in franchise history for RBI by a rookie. Bellinger passed Ron Cey (80 in 1973) in the game. Piazza is the all-time leader with 112 RBI in 1993.

The game turns, then turns again

With the Dodgers down 5–3 in the top of the ninth inning, Rob Segedin doubled to lead off against San Diego reliever Brad Hand.

Two batters later, Justin Turner hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer to tie the score.

It was Turner’s 18th homer of the year.

But the next inning, Yangervis Solarte hit a walk-off, solo home run off Pedro Baez to give the Padres the 6–5 win.

The Dodger bullpen, which has had a strong week, having allowed seven earned runs in 24 2/3 innings coming into today (2.55 ERA), had its share of struggles on Saturday.

Edward Paredes and Tony Cingrani didn’t allow a baserunner in their combined 1 1/3 innings. But the combination of Wilmer Font (who was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday and made his Dodger debut), Josh Ravin and Baez, combined to allow five hits, four walks and five earned runs in three combined innings.

The firsts

Alex Verdugo, in his second Major League game, singled to left field in the second inning off San Diego starter Clayton Richard to collect his first big league hit. Verdugo went 1-for-3 in the game.

O’Koyea Dickson started in left field and made his big league debut. He went 0-for-3 with an intentional walk.

The start

Brock Stewart, who was recalled on Saturday, started and went four innings, allowing two hits, four walks and one earned run, having struck out five batters.

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