The Name Game

Adam Dunn hit two homers today. The first was off of Zach Duke. While Dunn has never homered off of any other pitcher with a title for a last name (no Kings, Queens, Bishops, etc.), Duke is the third Zach Dunn has hit a homer against (the others being Day and Jackson). Dunn hit his first home run immediately after Edwin Encarnacion had gone yard himself, the eighth time Dunn has followed a teammate who had hit a home run with one of his own and the second time Encarnacion and Dunn had gone 1-2.

The second home run of the day came off Jonah Bayliss and was hit in support of Brad Salmon. Somewhere there is a biblical reference in there.

This was Dunn's eighteenth career two home run game and only the fourth where the Reds lost. The last time Dunn hit a pair of home runs in a losing effort was also against the Pirates on June 27, 2004.

Sunday is Dunn's preferred day for hitting multiple home runs. Five of the eighteen games have been Sunday games. Monday and Tuesday are second with three apiece. Sundays are not good days for the Reds. When Dunn hits two home runs on a Sunday, the Reds are 2-3. Any other day they are 12-1.

Dunn has caught or passed some active players on the home run list today. Nomar Garciaparra and Alfonso Soriano both have 212 career home runs as of this writing. Carlos Beltran has 211.

Name Age AB
Dunn 27 3008
Garciaparra 33 5016
Beltran 30 4743
Soriano 31 4074

Garciaparra isn't really regarded as a power hitter but Beltran and Soriano both are. Dunn is three years younger than Beltran and has 1000 fewer AB than Soriano, further evidence that Dunn is in a class by himself.

Some other guys Dunn has passed today: Roberto Alomar, Jeff Conine, Brady Anderson, Rico Petrocelli and Wally Post (210). Kevin McReynolds, Moose Skowron and Leon Wagner (211).