The Red Sox' home-run barrage in the third inning of Sunday's victory over the Yankees was just one of a number of memorable offensive explosions baseball has seen over the last 15 years. A look at the top-10:
10. Welcome to the big leagues, Adam LaRoche (April 7, 2004). Keying an 11-run fourth inning explosion against the Mets, LaRoche became the first National Leaguer to record two hits in the same inning during his Major League debut. LaRoche went 2-5 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored.9. Yankees, Mets get three sac flies in an inning (2000, 2005). No, this is not impossible. The Yanks actually managed to accomplish the feat twice in their title-winning 2000 season, once against the Tigers and another time against the Angels. The Mets are the most recent team to hit three sac flies in an inning, using a Bernie Williams error to turn the trick on the Yankees in 2005.8. Red Sox torch Pavano and the Marlins (June 27, 2003). Boston teed off of the eventual World Series champion Marlins, using a 14-run first inning to crush Florida 25-8. As part of the assault, the Red Sox scored 10 runs without making an out, setting a new record. Marlins' starting pitcher Carl Pavano's final line: 0 innings pitched, six earned runs.7. Big Mac sends two into the Kingdome's upper deck (September 22, 1996). Back when Mark McGwire was just a superstar on the Oakland Athletics, he crushed two home runs into the upper deck of Seattle's now-defunct Kingdome during the fifth inning of a game against the Mariners, keying an eight-run rally that gave the A's a commanding 13-3 lead.6. Red Sox blast Chase Wright and the Yanks (April 22, 2007). Just when it looked like Yankees rookie Chase Wright could pull-off the impossible and out-duel Daisuke Matsuzaka during Sunday's match-up between the Yankees and Red Sox, Boston went on a home-run rampage in the third inning. Four-consecutive shots off the bats of Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead, keying a 7-6 Red Sox victory.5. Bellhorn goes deep from both sides of the plate (Aug. 29, 2002). While playing for the Chicago Cubs, switch-hitting first baseman Mark Bellhorn became the first player in National League history to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same inning. The future hero of the 2004 World Series also tied a team record with five RBI in the inning.4. Cameron and Boone go back-to-back - twice (May 2, 2002). Seattle second baseman Bret Boone and outfielder Mike Cameron were the driving forces behind a 10-run first inning against the White Sox in an early-season game at Comiskey Park. The second and third hitters, respectively, in the Seattle lineup, the two each hit two home runs in the inning, combining for six first-inning RBI's and leading the Mariners to a 15-4 blowout win.3. Yanks use monster inning to take Game 1 of 1997 ALDS (Sept. 30, 1997). Down 6-1 early in Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Cleveland Indians, the Yankees completed a miraculous comeback with a five-run sixth-inning, after Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, giving the Yanks an 8-6 lead they would not relinquish.2. Dodgers stun Hoffman and Padres (Sept. 18, 2006). Down four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Dodgers staged a miracle comeback off of the man with the most career saves in major league history. Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russ Martin and Marlon Anderson hit four-consecutive home runs to tie the game before Nomar Garciaparra added a walk-off home run in the 10th, giving L.A. an improbable 11-10 win.1. Tatis hits two grand slams (April 23, 1999). Light-hitting Cardinals third baseman Fernando Tatis clubbed two grand slams off of Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park during an 11-run third inning that put the game away for St. Louis. Tatis' eight RBI in the inning also set a record.
