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• Troy Glaus' statistics • Allen Craig's player page • Check the Cardinals' other affiliates With two outs and nobody on base in the top of the eighth inning at the Dell Diamond on Monday night, no one could have predicted that history was about to be made. Least of all, Memphis manager Chris Maloney. Troy Glaus, Allen Craig, Mark Hamilton and Daniel Descalso homered in consecutive at-bats off former Major League closer Armando Benitez, matching a Pacific Coast League record and powering the Redbirds to a 12-7 victory over the Round Rock Express. "Everybody kind of had their mouths open because it was pretty bizarre," said Maloney. "I've never witnessed anything like it in person. I saw it on TV, but I never saw it in person." Benitez, making his first appearance for the Express after spending most of this season pitching for the independent Newark Bears, started the eighth by getting Tyler Greene on a popout to second. Major League veteran Nick Stavinoha, who had launched a two-run shot in the opening frame, belted an offering from Benitez deep to center field before it was reeled in by Yordany Ramirez in front of the wall. Perhaps that was the first indicator of what was to come. Glaus, a former World Series MVP who has yet to play in the Majors this year due to shoulder surgery and a bulging disc in his back, connected for only his second homer in 65 Minor League at-bats this season to start the long ball assault. Craig cranked his team-leading 23rd homer and second in as many days over the left-field fence and Hamilton followed with another shot to left off the suddenly shell-shocked Benitez. "Glaus hit a homer. Then Craig. Then Hamilton," Maloney recalled. "The thing that was really odd about it was that it was with two outs." But the Redbirds weren't done. Descalso, who had gone deep once in his first 133 at-bats with Memphis, sent an offering from Benitez over the wall in right-center to cap the outburst, marking the first time in over eight years and fourth time in Pacific Coast League history that four consecutive homers had been hit. "It was pretty bizarre," Maloney reiterated. "I don't think anybody else had ever experienced that either. It sure gave us a little breathing room." Brandon Yarbrough ripped a single to right before Benitez struck out Josh Kinney to end the inning, leaving the Redbirds one shy of the league record for homers in an inning. At least the 36-year-old Dominican right-hander can take solace in knowing he's not the first pitcher in the league to give up four straight homers. In fact, he's the third. Tucson's Bryant Nelson, Chad Moeller, Junior Spivey and Jamie Gann were the last quartet to accomplish the feat against Fresno on May 27, 2001 off current Twins All-Star closer Joe Nathan. On Aug. 29, 1994, Albuquerque's Ron Coomer, Billy Ashley, Todd Hollandsworth and Michael Busch all went deep off Colorado Springs' Kevin Meier. The original foursome to set the milestone was Daniel Walton, Craig Kusick, W. Richard Renick and J. Thomas Kelly of Tacoma. The first three of those homers were off Sacramento's Thomas Hausman and the last against Carlos Velazquez. John Torenli is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
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