Scooter Gennett Socks Four Homers In Reds' Win; Mike Moustakas, Royals End Houston Win Streak At 11

Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 6, 2017

American League

Moustakas: Game-winner

For now, at least, Houston's reign of terror in the American League is over after the Kansas City Royals ended the Astros' 11 game winning streak with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.

Mike Moustakas, who's been one of the more consistent performers for the Central division last-place Royals, was the game-changer, going 4-for-5, including the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Moustakas singled twice and doubled in his at-bats prior to the dramatic ending. The Royals erased a 7-1 Houston lead and it was 7-2 in the fourth, when Moustakas singled home Eric Hosmer, getting KC a run closer. He also singled and scored as a part of a four-run rally in the eighth inning which tied the game.

There were two outs in the ninth when Moustakas launched the game-winner. It was his 15th of the season.

The result left Houston still leading the NL West, by a mere 13 games over the Angels and Mariners. Kansas City remains in last place, but they are only 5 1/2 games behind division-leading Minnesota.

Game three of the four-game series is set for 8:15 pm ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

National League

Gennett ties MLB mark

In the bottom of the first inning, Scooter Gennett singled home Billy Hamilton off Cardinal starter, Adam Wainwright. OK, the guy was batting .270 with 20 RBI in 111 at-bats entering the game, so, nothing really out of the ordinary.

What was about to happen nobody could have predicted.

Gennett, a 5'10", 185-pound utility player, hit home runs in his next four at-bats, starting off with a grand slam in the third inning, putting the Reds ahead, 5-0. After Eugenio Suarez cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the fourth, Gennett did what any self-respecting slugger would, he hit another home run. 10-0 Reds.

After sending the first two balls over the walls in right and center fields, respectively, Gennett went opposite field in the sixth for a solo shot. In the eighth, he did it again, with a two run home run to right. When it was all over, the Reds slaughtered the Cardinals, 13-1 and Scooter Gennett was the talk of the sports world, becoming the 17th major leaguer to hit four home runs in a single game, joining the likes of Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt, who have a combined career total of 1,701 homers.

Gennett's career total: 42... and that's in over 1600 at-bats.

Gennett finished with impressive stats, going 5-for-5, with four runs and 10 RBI, which tied the Reds' franchise record for most RBI in a single game, tying Walker Cooper's mark from 1949. His 17 total bases are now a club record. That's pretty impressive since professional baseball in Cincinnati dates back to 1869.

Accurate records exist from 1876, when the Reds were admitted to the National League. After four years in the senior circuit, the Reds were expelled for nine years for selling beer in the stands! The horror! Cincinnati was readmitted after the 1989, playing the American Association during the National League absence.

The victory moved the Reds 1/2 game ahead of the Cardinals in the NL Central, trailing division co-leaders Chicago and Milwaukee by three games.

Game three of the four-game set in Cincinnati is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET.