What we saw from San Diego Padres outfielder Nelson Cruz of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic had historical significance on Sunday night. In a 10-2 San Diego Padres win over the Atlanta Braves, at 42 years and 282 days old, Cruz became the third oldest player in Major League Baseball history to have six runs batted in during a single game and the second oldest Padres player to hit a home run.
How and When Cruz recorded his six runs batted in and home run
In the top of the third inning from Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Braves starting pitcher Dylan Dodd of Elk Grove Village, Illinois to put the Padres up 4-0. The home run also scored Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts of Oranjestad, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands, and third baseman Manny Machado of Miami, Florida.
Then in the top of the sixth inning, Cruz hit a RBI ground rule double off of Dodd that scored left fielder Juan Soto of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and put the Padres up 6-0. Cruz’s final two runs batted in came in the eighth inning, when he had a two-run RBI single off of Braves relief pitcher Lucas Luetge of Brenham, Texas, which scored Bogaerts and Machado and put the Padres up 8-1.
The Record Holders
The two oldest players to have six runs batted in during a game are Chicago White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk of Bellows Falls, Vermont, and San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds of Riverside, California. Fisk accomplished the feat at 43 years and 281 days old in a 13-12 White Sox win over the Minnesota Twins on October 3, 1991. Bonds accomplished the feat at the age of 42 years and 360 days old in a 13-12 Giants loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on September 22, 2006.
The oldest Padres player to homer in a game is Rickey Henderson of Chicago, Illinois. The Padres left fielder was 42 years and 283 days old when he hit a home run for the Padres in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 4, 2001.
2023 MLB Statistics
So far in 2023, Cruz is batting .350 with two home runs and nine runs batted in. During five games, 21 plate appearances and 20 at bats, he has scored three runs, and had seven hits, two doubles, 15 total bases, an on base percentage of .381 and a slugging percentage of .750.
Lead the NL West
The Padres lead the NL West at six wins and four losses. They are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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