6+ Home Run Games In Red Sox History

Last night's 10-4 win over the Orioles was the 25th time in Red Sox history that the team hit six home runs in one game. The list of games can be found here.

As I mentioned in the G87 game post below, Baseball Reference's data goes back only to 1919. However, home runs were scarce during the Deadball Era and because the Red Sox's first 6+ HR game in that 1919-2011 span came in late 1940, I feel confident in assuming the team had no 6+ HR games from 1901-1918.

Six different players have homered in the same game only five times in Red Sox history:

July 4, 1977       - 8 HR (the franchise record), beat Toronto 9-6
June 20, 1979      - 6 HR, beat Detroit 13-3
June 7, 2003       - 6 HR, beat Milwaukee 11-10
September 15, 2008 - 6 HR, beat Tampa Bay 13-5
July 7, 2011       - 6 HR, beat Baltimore 10-4

On July 4, 1977, the Red Sox had only 11 hits: 3 singles and 8 home runs (7 solo).

The Red Sox have hit seven home runs on four occasions:

June 8, 1950       - 7 HR, beat St. Louis Browns 29-4
July 24, 1999*     - 7 HR, beat Detroit 11-4
July 23, 2002      - 7 HR, beat Tampa Bay 22-4 (G1 of DH)
July 4, 2003       - 7 HR, beat Yankees 10-3

* - Laura and I were at this game, in old Tiger Stadium, as part of our 1999 baseball vacation. Trot Nixon hit three HR from the #9 spot in the order; Nomar popped two.

The 1977 team had four 6+ HR games, and they all came within a six-week span, including two games in one week:

May 22   - 6 HR, beat Milwaukee 14-10 (G1 of DH)
May 28   - 6 HR, beat Kansas City 17-12
June 17  - 6 HR, beat Yankees 9-4
July 4   - 8 HR, beat Toronto 9-6

The '77 crew also had four games in which they hit five home runs, including back-to-back games against the Yankees on June 18 and 19 - after hitting six on June 17! Three days later, on June 22, they hit five dongs against the Orioles. In 10 games between June 14 and 24, the Red Sox crushed 33 taters!

The 2003 team also had four 6+ HR games:

June 7   - 6 HR, beat Milwaukee 11-10
June 29  - 6 HR, beat Florida 11-7
July 4   - 7 HR, beat Yankees 10-3
August 3 - 6 HR, beat Baltimore 7-5

Seventeen of the 25 6+ HR games have been at Fenway Park.

The only other seasons in which the Red Sox hit 6+ HRs in a game more than once are 1950 and 1997 (two times each).

Boston has lost only one of its 25 6+ HR games. On May 31, 1980, the Red Sox hit six home runs and lost to the Brewers, 19-8.

Three of the last four games in which the Red Sox have hit six home runs have been against the Orioles. August 3, 2003 and September 8, 2009 were the other dates.