LOS ANGELES (AP) – Adrian Gonzalez hit three home runs, becoming the first player in major league history with five in the season’s first three games, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-4 Wednesday to win their opening series.
Fittingly, Gonzalez received his Silver Slugger award from last season before the game. Then he went out and had a four-hit game to go with consecutive three-hit games on Monday and Tuesday, becoming the first National League player to do so since Orlando Cepeda of San Francisco had three straight three-hit games in 1963.
Gonzalez homered in four consecutive at-bats dating to Tuesday before his RBI single in the sixth. His five homers in the first three games made major league history, according to information provided to the Dodgers by the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Dodgers rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first to help Brandon McCarthy (1-0) earn his first win as one of eight new players on the team this season. The right-hander allowed nine hits and four runs, struck out nine and walked one. Joel Peralta pitched the ninth to earn his first NL save.
Gonzalez homered in the first and he led off the third with another homer, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 5-2. He led off the fifth with his third homer – all off Andrew Cashner – and took a curtain call from the dugout steps.