In stark contrast to his career-best but famously wasted performance of May 15, 1967, Roberto Clemente’s second career three-home run game brings the desired result, a lightly contested 10 – 5 decision over San Francisco. This time around, Clemente provides power-hitting of both the long-range and up-close-and-personal variety, terrorizing bleacher creature and opposing pitcher alike. Pittsburgh Press writer Phil Musick: “Clemente revealed that he had used four different bats to pound out three home runs and a single that nearly defrocked Giant reliever Frank Linzy.” A summary of the three blasts is provided by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “A resumé of the way he hit the homers proves how difficult it is to pitch to this man. He hit one high and away off Mike McCormick over the right field screen in the 1st, he hit one low and inside over the right field screen in the 3rd, also off McCormick, and then when Bobby Bolin challenged him with a high hard pitch down the middle, Roberto crashed it off the flagpole beyond the center field screen to come within one of tying the all-time record of home runs in a single game.”

This Day In Baseball

On August 13, 1969 — In stark contrast to his career-best but famously wasted performance of May 15, 1967, Roberto Clemente’s second career three-home run game brings the desired result, a lightly contested 10 – 5 decision over San Francisco. This time around, Clemente provides power-hitting of both the long-range and up-close-and-personal variety, terrorizing bleacher creature and opposing pitcher alike. Pittsburgh Press writer Phil Musick: “Clemente revealed that he had used four different bats to pound out three home runs and a single that nearly defrocked Giant reliever Frank Linzy.” A summary of the three blasts is provided by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “A resumé of the way he hit the homers proves how difficult it is to pitch to this man. He hit one high and away off Mike McCormick over the right field screen in the 1st, he hit one low and inside over the right field screen in the 3rd, also off McCormick, and then when Bobby Bolin challenged him with a high hard pitch down the middle, Roberto crashed it off the flagpole beyond the center field screen to come within one of tying the all-time record of home runs in a single game.”

Source:
Baseball Reference August 13
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Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
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