There are 185 instances of a postseason batter – perhaps surrounded by bunting, perhaps hearing extra jeers or cheers from a crowd feeling the intensity, perhaps extra-energized by the heightened tension that seems to come with every delivery from mound to dish – generating at least two home runs in a game. Boston’s Patsy Dougherty gets to strut at the head of this ever-growing conga line, thanks to his two in Game 2 of the 1903 Fall Classic. Babe Ruth – who else – gets the most kicks, having produced the most multi-longball efforts (four). There are just four number nine hitters on the list, 17 leadoff batters (including Dougherty) and a whole lot of number three and number four hitters (82 of those). There are a lot of corner men, either from the infield or outfield, 111 of them – kind of dwarfing the collective contributions from the middle of the diamond, where there are 24 center fielders, 10 shortstops, 14 second basemen, and, with the latest ta-da! pulsing out of Toronto, 12 catchers.
*Yankees v. Blue Jays*
Alejandro Kirk played the big hero for the day, homering twice to help the Blue Jays to a 10-1 win over the Yankees.
~There are now a dozen catchers to produce a multi-homer game in the postseason. Let’s unfold this association by round, starting with the ALDS in honor of Kirk (and also because it has a lot of representatives):
ALDS: A.J. Pierzynski (2005), Mike Napoli (2008), Kelly Shoppach (2011), Gary Sánchez (2018), Alejandro Kirk (2025)
WS: Yogi Berra (1956), Gene Tenace (1972), Johnny Bench (1976), Gary Carter (1986), Roberto Pérez (2016)
ALWC: Danny Jansen (2020, also for the Blue Jays)
NLWC: Russell Martin (2013)
~Kirk became the 42nd player (and third in 2025, after the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández and Shohei Ohtani) to produce a Game 1 multi-home run line. Eight of these 42 have come at the expense of Yankees pitching:
→Davey Lopes for the Dodgers in the 1978 WS
→Ken Griffey, Jr. for the Mariners in the 1995 ALDS
→Andruw Jones for the Braves in the 1996 WS
→Greg Vaughn for the Padres in the 1998 WS
→Terence Long for the Athletics in the 2001 ALDS
→Troy Glaus for the Angels in the 2002 ALDS
→Chase Utley for the Phillies in the 2009 World Series
→Alejandro Kirk for the Blue Jays in the 2025 ALDS
~Kirk is the fourth Blue Jay with a multi-homer day in the postseason, following José Bautista (2015 ALCS, G6), Danny Jansen (2020 ALWC, G2) and Teoscar Hernández (2022 ALWC, G2).
~In a postseason career that dates back to 2020, Kirk has reached safely in all six of his postseason games. He shares that 6-for-6 honor – among Blue Jays – with Roberto Alomar, José Bautista and Chris Colabello.
Kirk was one of five Blue Jays with a multi-hit game, tagging along with Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Daulton Varsho and Andrés Giménez. There are five other examples of a Toronto lineup having at least five in a postseason contest, all of them coming during the club’s run to back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993. In Game 4 of the ’93 Fall Classic – that heavy-duty 15-14 win against the Phillies – the team had six players collect two-or-more hits (Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, Tony Fernández, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Devon White).
This barrage on Saturday works out to match the best run-scoring output ever produced by a Blue Jays team in a Game 1, linking to the 10-1 victory Toronto enjoyed over Texas in the 2016 ALDS.
In the loss, Aaron Judge doubled and singled. He’s currently tied with Álex Rodríguez for the eighth most extra-base hits (23) in Yankees postseason history and with 51 hits, is three behind Rodríguez and Joe DiMaggio for ninth on that leaderboard.
*Tigers v. Mariners*
The Tigers took down the Mariners, 3-2, in 11 innings, Zach McKinstry’s RBI single in the top of the 11th proving to be the edge.
~Detroit and Seattle played in the 36th extra-inning Game 1 in postseason history, a line that starts with the Tigers and Cubs finishing their day tied 3-3 in the 1907 World Series. With this outcome in Seattle, visiting teams are now 15-20-1 in these 36 contests.
~The Tigers improved to 6-5 all-time in extra-inning postseason games; the Mariners dropped to 3-3.
~Tigers with go-ahead, extra-inning hits in the postseason:
→ Goose Goslin walk-off single in the 12th in Game 2 of the 1934 World Series
→ Jo-Jo White go-ahead single in the 11th in Game 3 of the 1935 World Series
→ Al Kaline go-ahead home run in the 11th in Game 1 of the 1972 ALCS
→ Jim Northrup walk-off single in the 10th in Game 4 of the 1972 ALCS
→ Johnny Grubb go-ahead double in the 11th in Game 2 of the 1984 ALCS
→ Delmon Young go-ahead double in the 12th in Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS
→ Zach McKinstry go-ahead single in the 11th in Game 1 of the 2025 ALDS
Riley Greene (2-for-5) and Parker Meadows (1-for-4) extended their respective on-base streaks to begin a postseason career to 11. Among all Tigers, they are two of four to extend this long, joining Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg, with each of their streaks starting in Game 1 of the 1934 World Series. For the two current contributors, their streaks began in Game 1 of the 2024 AL Wild Card.
Usually, when a team receives three-hit efforts from multiple players in a Game 1, a win comes with the performances. Not so for the 2025 Mariners or Cal Raleigh (3-for-5) and Julio Rodríguez (3-for-5, HR). There are 47 examples of a team receiving three-plus hit lines from teammates in a Game 1. These teams are now 31-15-1 when they have the duos (or trios) produce this level of work. There is one other Mariners representative in this 15 – in a Game 1 loss to the Yankees in the 1995 ALDS, Ken Griffey, Jr. was 3-for-5 with two home runs and Edgar Martínez went 3-for-4 with a walk.
Seattle’s Randy Arozarena walked and scored a run in the loss, and now owns a .325/.406/.667 career line in 133 postseason plate appearances. There are 10 AL/NL players in history who ended their careers with at least 100 postseason plate appearances and a .300/.400/.500 line. Arozarena is the only active player who meets the standards. He and the 10 in this VIP club, arranged from highest to lowest OPS:
| Player | OPS | BA | OBP | SLG | PA |
| Lou Gehrig | 1.214 | .361 | .483 | .731 | 150 |
| Babe Ruth | 1.214 | .326 | .470 | .744 | 167 |
| Lenny Dykstra | 1.094 | .321 | .433 | .661 | 136 |
| Randy Arozarena | 1.073 | .325 | .406 | .667 | 133 |
| Paul Molitor | 1.050 | .368 | .435 | .615 | 132 |
| Hank Greenberg | 1.044 | .318 | .420 | .624 | 101 |
| Carlos Beltrán | 1.021 | .307 | .412 | .609 | 256 |
| Albert Pujols | .995 | .319 | .422 | .572 | 360 |
| Gene Woodling | .972 | .318 | .442 | .529 | 104 |
| Will Clark | .956 | .333 | .409 | .547 | 132 |
| Lance Berkman | .949 | .317 | .417 | .532 | 224 |
*Cubs v. Brewers*
The Brewers took down the Cubs, 9-3, erupting for the franchise’s second-best tally in any Game 1. Milwaukee’s highest output in any Game 1 came in the 1982 World Series when they blanked the Cardinals, 10-0. The club also tallied nine runs in defeating the Cardinals, 9-6, in Game 1 of the 2011 NLCS.
Before leaving with an injury, Milwaukee’s leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Through his first four career postseason games, the 21-year-old outfielder has eight hits (three for extra bases), four runs scored and six RBI.
~Chourio’s eight hits through his first four postseason games tie for the 15th most, with Marquis Grissom owning the most, 11. There are a few others who matched or bettered Chourio in runs, hits and RBI totals through their first four contests:
8+ Hits, 4+ Runs, 6+ RBI Through First Four Postseason Games
Edgar Martínez in 1995 (9 hits, 6 runs, 8 RBI)
Jim Edmonds in 2000 (10 hits, 5 runs, 7 RBI)
Hanley Ramírez in 2013 (8 hits, 4 runs, 6 RBI)
Jackson Chourio in 2024-25 (8 hits, 4 runs, 6 RBI)
~Chourio is one of 21 players to amass at least eight hits in the postseason before turning 22 years old. Andruw Jones – with 20 – leads, while Chourio, for the time being, is matched with Dib Williams, Tony Kubek, Bryce Harper, Wander Franco and Xander Bogaerts.
Freddy Peralta recorded the win, allowing two runs in five-and-two thirds innings and piling up nine strikeouts. The nine K’s matched Peralta with Don Sutton (1982 ALCS, G3), Yovani Gallardo (2011 NLDS, G1), and Brandon Woodruff (2020 NLWC, G2) for the most by a Brewer in a postseason game.
Michael Busch joined Bob Dernier (1984 NLCS, G1) and Dexter Fowler (2016 World Series, Game 7) as Cubs to homer to lead off a postseason contest. As the visiting player in this Game 1, Busch was the very first batter in the entire series. This type of inauguration doesn’t occur all that often and it’s generally been – ultimately – an afterthought, coming as part of a loss.
Visiting Leadoff Batters to Open a Game 1 With a First-Inning HR
2007 ALDS Johnny Damon for the Yankees (lost the game)
2012 ALDS Coco Crisp for the Athletics (lost the game)
2017 ALWC Brian Dozier for the Twins (lost the game)
2019 ALWC Yandy Díaz for the Rays (won the game!)
2021 WS Jorge Soler for the Braves (won the game!)
2025 NLDS Michael Busch for the Cubs (lost the game)
*Dodgers v. Phillies*
Making his first career playoff start on the mound, Shohei Ohtani (6.0 IP, 3 R, 9 K’s) recorded the win as the Dodgers took down the Phillies, 5-3. Ohtani is one of six Dodgers starters to pocket a win in a Game 1 while notching at least nine strikeouts.
1956 World Series – Sal Maglie fans 10 over 9.0 innings in a 6-3 win
1963 World Series – Sandy Koufax fans 15 over 9.0 innings in 5-2 win
2013 NLDS – Clayton Kershaw fans 12 over 7.0 innings in a 6-1 win
2017 World Series – Clayton Kershaw fans 11 over 7.0 innings in a 3-1 win
2025 NLWC – Blake Snell fans nine over 7.0 innings in a 10-5 win
2025 NLDS – Shohei Ohtani fans nine over 6.0 innings in a 5-3 win
~At the plate, Ohtani struck out four times. There have been 105 players in postseason history to whiff at least four times in a contest, with Ohtani and nine others making up the contingent of pitchers. When arranged by date, Dodgers hurlers have accounted for the last three events, with Ohtani following Jerry Reuss in Games 2 and 5 of the 1981 NLDS. The seven who came earlier: Bill James for the Braves in 1914, George Mogridge for the Senators in 1924; George Pipgras for the Yankees in 1932; Schoolboy Rowe for the Tigers in 1934; Tiny Bonham for the Yankees in 1941; Mel Stottlemyre for the Yankees in 1964; Dave Boswell for the Twins in 1969.
Teoscar Hernández’s three-run home run in the seventh turned a 3-2 deficit into the eventual final score – the eighth career longball for the outfielder. There are 17 other players in history to have bashed at least that many through 23 career postseason games, with Hernández matched at eight with Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams, Juan González, Ken Caminiti, Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols, Evan Longoria, Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge and Adolis García. Those with more break down like this:
11 Carlos Beltrán, Giancarlo Stanton
9 Lou Gehrig, Duke Snider, Troy Glaus, Nelson Cruz, Randy Arozarena
In the loss, J.T. Realmuto tripled in a pair of runs and with the three-bagger, completed the career cycle for the postseason. He’s one of 19 catchers (at least 75% of career games as a backstop) to have at least one single, one double, one triple and one home run on his postseason résumé. Wally Schang gets this gang started, as part of his story that saw him play in six World Series and win titles while repping the Athletics (1913), Red Sox (1918) and Yankees (1923). Other players on the list who had at least some postseason time with the Phillies: Tim McCarver and Carlos Ruiz.
Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.
Roger Schlueter
As Sr. Editorial Director for Major League Baseball Productions from 2004-2015, Roger served as a hub for hundreds of hours of films, series, documentaries and features: as researcher, fact-checker, script doctor, and developer of ideas. The years at MLB Production gave him the ideal platform to pursue what galvanized him the most – the idea that so much of what takes place on the field during the MLB regular and postseason (and is forever beautifully condensed into a box score) has connections to what has come before. Unearthing and celebrating these webs allows baseball to thrive, for the present can come alive and also reignite the past.