April 26, 2025: Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez hits four home runs, but Braves top Diamondbacks in 10 innings

A month into the 2025 season, Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks was in a slump. In his first three games he had four home runs and seven RBIs, and he was batting .400—but it had been downhill ever since. Through 26 games, he was batting a paltry buck sixty-seven, and in his previous 19 games he was 9-for-66.

Suárez was in his 12th year as a major leaguer and second season with the Diamondbacks. The slugging third baseman, a native of Venezuela, was well known for his perpetually cheerful attitude, encouraging his teammates, and his “Good Vibes Only” mantra.

“I look for happy moments and think the best about people … I am here to serve God,” said the devoutly religious Suárez. “I do everything from the heart, and when I do I give it my best … I always have a smile, a good thing to say, a good attitude toward others. It’s really important in this business.”1

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, “[Suárez is] a great player, but an even better human being.”2

Suárez wasn’t one to let a slump get him down. Perhaps in the next game things would go his way. He needed to retain his confidence and shut out the negativity—he had to believe.

On April 26, Arizona played the Atlanta Braves in the middle game of a three-game series in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks had lost five of their previous seven games. The Braves had prevailed in six of their last seven contests, including an 8-2 win in the series opener.3

A Saturday crowd of 43,043 streamed into Chase Field.4 The evening’s pitching matchup featured two right-handers, Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks and the Braves’ Grant Holmes.5 Kelly entered the game with a 3-1 record and a 4.73 ERA. Holmes (2-1) had an ERA of 3.22.

In the first inning, Kelly surrendered a solo homer to Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, pulled down the left-field line. Braves 1, Diamondbacks 0.

In the top of the second, Sean Murphy led off with a second solo dinger for the Braves, this one to left-center. One out later, Michael Harris II singled to left. He later swiped second and advanced to third on an errant throw by Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno, but Kelly was able to get out of the inning without further damage. Braves 2, Diamondbacks 0.

In the bottom of the second, with two outs, Suárez, batting sixth for the Diamondbacks, tagged a first-pitch fastball in the bottom of the zone for a homer to left-center.6 Braves 2, Diamondbacks 1.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the fourth. Holmes walked the first two Diamondbacks he faced: Geraldo Perdomo7 and Pavin Smith. Josh Naylor grounded out to first while the runners moved up. On a full count, Moreno laced a liner to left-center, scoring Perdomo and Smith. The next batter, Suárez, also worked the count to 3-and-2, then crushed a four-seam fastball for a two-run homer to left-center. 8 Arizona 5, Atlanta 2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Holmes retired Naylor and Moreno. Suárez came to the plate for his third at-bat. On the first pitch, he pulverized a slider in the middle of the zone into the center-field stands.9 Suárez had his second three-homer game in two seasons,10 and the Diamondbacks led, 6-2.

Lovullo removed Kelly after six innings and 93 pitches, and the Braves immediately began to rally. Righty Ryan Thompson gave up a leadoff single to Ozzie Albies. With one out, Eli White cranked a homer to left to bring the Braves within two runs at 6-4.

Arizona reliever, lefty Jalen Beeks, came in for the eighth. He got two outs and walked the next two batters, Matt Olson11 and Murphy. Albies then hit an RBI single to center, and Harris followed with a two-run double. The tables had turned in favor of the Braves. Atlanta 7, Arizona 6.

For the bottom of the ninth, Suárez was the leadoff batter facing veteran closer Raisel Iglesias. The crowd chanted “Geno! Geno! Geno!”12

The right-handed Iglesias mixed his pitches: a changeup for a strike, a slider for a ball, and a fastball for a swinging strike, resulting in a 1-and-2 count.13 The cat-and-mouse game continued to a full count.

On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Suárez slammed a four-seam fastball deep to left.14 It sailed into the seats. The Diamondbacks’ dugout erupted and the crowd roared ecstatically. Suárez had joined Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, and others to become the 19th National or American League player to hit four home runs in one game.15 While rounding the bases, Suárez made a leaping jump-shot motion towards his teammates as if shooting a basketball at the buzzer to tie the game.16

“Everybody’s wanting him to hit that fourth home run,” said Lovullo. “It’s amazing. It’s magical. It’s what we dream about as kids.”17

“Today was special,” said Suárez. “Yesterday is in the past. I never changed my thoughts, I’m always the guy who believes in what can happen.”18

Suárez’s solo bomb tied the game at seven apiece. Iglesias surrendered a single to Alek Thomas, but otherwise finished off the Diamondbacks and sent the game to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, the Braves positioned Olson at second as the extra-inning automatic runner. Olson took third on Drake Baldwin’s19 comebacker to reliever Justin Martínez, then scored on a wild pitch. Atlanta had regained the lead, 8-7.

Lefty Dylan Lee closed out the Braves’ win by getting groundouts from Corbin Carroll,20 Perdomo, and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk. On the last play, third baseman Austin Riley made a difficult backhanded grab near the line and threw the ball bouncing to first.21 It appeared Grichuk had beaten the throw, which would have allowed automatic runner Tim Tawa to score the tying run, but Braves manager Brian Snitker challenged the safe call and it was overturned.

Iglesias was the winning pitcher, Martínez took the loss, and Lee picked up the save. Atlanta had nine hits, no errors, and left seven on base. Arizona had seven hits, one error, and three LOB.

This was the third time a major-leaguer had hit four homers in a game while on the losing team.22

“Obviously there’s some mixed feelings right now because we didn’t win the game,” said Suárez.23

Despite the loss, Suárez certainly had a “Good Vibes” evening, going 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs. In one game, he raised his batting average from .167 to .202 and his OPS from .690 to .869. His four round-trippers catapulted him to the early season lead in major-league home runs with 10.

Prior to Suárez, the last four-homer game in the big leagues had been by another Diamondback, J.D. Martinez, on September 4, 2017.24 In that same season, Scooter Gennett of the Cincinnati Reds hit four home runs on June 6, 2017, when Suárez was the Reds’ third baseman. After Gennett accomplished the feat, Suárez had celebrated by lifting his teammate in the air.25 Suárez became the first player to have a four-homer game and appear in another game where four home runs were hit by a teammate.26

As it turned out, Suárez was the first of three big-leaguers with four-homer games in 2025, a major-league record.27 After Suárez,  Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz 28 accomplished the feat on July 25, and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies did it on August 28.

In 2025 Suárez made the All-Star team for the second time in his career. On June 20, he hit his 300th major-league home run. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the July trading deadline.29 He finished the ’25 season with an OPS of .824 and 49 home runs (36 for Arizona and 13 with Seattle), fifth-best in the majors. He also had 118 RBIs, fourth-best in the big leagues.30

In the AL Championship Series, Suárez was 8-for-26 (.308) with an OPS of .956. In Game Five, he hit two homers (one was a grand slam), ensuring a key victory for the Mariners. Suárez and the M’s nearly made it to their first World Series, losing Game Seven to the Toronto Blue Jays by one run.

By the end of his successful 2025 campaign, Suárez’s early-season slump was a distant memory.

When asked about tough times he’s faced, Suárez reflected, “I never lost my joy, and that’s why I never lost my passion for the game. I just never lost my belief in what I could do.”31

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Ray Danner and copy-edited by Mike Eisenbath. The author thanks John Fredland, Kurt Blumenau, and Gary Belleville for their assistance.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and SABR.org for general player, team, and season data. The author also watched YouTube videos of the game.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI202504260.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2025/B04260ARI2025.htm

Photo credit: Eugenio Suárez, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Jose M. Romero, “Good Vibes Only: Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez Connects Clubhouses Wherever He Plays,” Arizona Republic / azcentral.com, March 23, 2025, https://sports.yahoo.com/article/good-vibes-only-diamondbacks-eugenio-120043868.html.

2 Alex D’Agostino, “D-backs’ Eugenio Suarez Reacts to Major Career Achievement,” Sports Illustrated / si.com, June 21, 2025, https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/arizona-diamondbacks-eugenio-suarez-reacts-career-home-runs.

3 Arizona (14-12) was in fourth place in the National League West Division, 3 games behind the division-leading San Diego Padres. Atlanta (11-14) was last in the five-team NL East, 6½  games behind the first-place New York Mets.

4 It was the biggest Diamondbacks crowd of the season since opening day (March 27), when more than 49,000 watched Arizona lose to the Chicago Cubs, 10-6.

5 The 36-year-old Kelly was in his seventh big-league season, all with the Diamondbacks. He had played high school and college ball in Arizona prior to his pro career. Kelly was traded on July 31, 2025, to the Texas Rangers for three minor leaguers. Holmes was in his second season in the majors. The 29-year-old South Carolina-native appeared in 26 games in the prior season for the Braves, mostly as a reliever. In 2025, he was cast in a starting role.

6 Justin Toscano, “Resilient Braves Make History in Win Over Diamondbacks,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 27, 2025: Sports.

7 Perdomo, a shortstop, won a Silver Slugger Award in 2025.

8 Jack Sommers, “D-backs’ Eugenio Suarez Has 4-Homer Game, 19th All-Time,” Sports Illustrated / si.com, April 27, 2025, https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/d-backs-eugenio-suarez-has-4-homer-game-19th-all-time-01jstg0zkhar.

9 Sommers, “D-backs’ Eugenio Suarez Has 4-Homer Game, 19th All-Time.”

10 Suarez had a three-homer game (with 5 RBIs) on July 30, 2024, as the Diamondbacks pounded the Washington Nationals 17-0 at Chase Field.

11 First baseman Olson, a three-time All-Star, won a Gold Glove in 2025.

12 Steve Gilbert, “Suarez is 19th Player in MLB History With a 4-Homer Game,” MLB.com, April 26, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/news/eugenio-suarez-four-homer-game.

13 Bob Nightengale, “Suarez Matches Record with 4 HRs,” USA Today, April 28, 2025: 8C.

14 Toscano, “Resilient Braves Make History in Win Over Diamondbacks.”

15 As of April 2025, in addition to the 19 players in National or American League history with four home runs in a game, Negro National Leaguer Josh Gibson had a four-homer game on July 28, 1938, while playing for the Homestead Grays against the Memphis Red Sox. As both MLB and SABR considers the 1938 Negro National League to be a major league, Gibson was the fifth player in major-league history with a four-homer game and Suárez was the 20th. “Four or More Home Runs in a Single Game,” SABR.org, accessed November 10, 2025, https://sabr.org/research/article/four-homers-one-game.

16 Nick Piecoro and Jose M. Romero, “Wild Ending After 4 Suarez HRs,” Arizona Republic, April 28, 2025: 3B. Suárez made similar jump-shot gestures while rounding the bags in each of his previous three home runs. Suárez’s homers travelled a combined 1,655 feet in this game. Here are stats on the four home runs from the mlb.com gameday box score:

17 Alex Weiner, “By the Numbers: Eugenio Suarez’s Historic Night Rarer Than a Perfect Game,” KTAR News / arizonasports.com, April 28, 2025, https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/eugenio-suarez-4/3582178/.

18 Weiner, “By the Numbers: Eugenio Suarez’s Historic Night Rarer Than a Perfect Game.”

19 Baldwin had replaced starting catcher Sean Murphy in the eighth inning. Murphy dealt with injuries in 2025 which provided Baldwin, the Braves number two backstop, with more playing time. Baldwin was named the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year. He batted .274 with 19 homers, 80 RBIs, and a .810 OPS.

20 Entering the game, Carroll had nine home runs and was tied for the major league lead. The outfielder and two-time All-Star won a Silver Slugger Award in 2025.

21 “Braves Survive Eugenio Suarez’s Historic 4-Homer Game in Win vs. Diamondbacks,” peachtreetv.com (Associated Press), April 26, 2025, https://www.peachtreetv.com/2025/04/27/braves-survive-eugeno-suarezs-historic-4-homer-game-win-vs-diamondbacks/.

22 The first four-homer game loser was the 1896 Philadelphia Phillies when Ed Delahanty hit four round-trippers (two of which were inside-the-park homers) on July 13. The second was the 1986 Braves who lost while Bob Horner knocked four out of the park on July 6. David O’Brien, “Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez Hits 4 Home Runs in Loss to Braves,” nytimes.com, April 27, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6314427/2025/04/27/diamondbacks-eugenio-suarez-four-home-runs/.

23 Piecoro and Romero, “Wild Ending After 4 Suarez HRs.”

24 Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo became the first to manage two players during their four-homer games (Martinez in 2017 and Suárez in 2025).

25 C. Trent Rosecrans, “Scooter Gennett Welcomes Eugenio Suarez to 4-Homer Club,” nytimes.com, April 28, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6316193/2025/04/28/scooter-gennett-eugenio-suarez-4-homer-club/.

26 Sarah Langs, “Suarez’s Amazing 4-Homer History,” MLB.com, May 1, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-stats-of-the-week-ending-may-1-2025.

27 There were two prior years with two four-homer games by individuals: 2017 (Gennett and Martinez) and 2002 (Mike Cameron of the Seattle Mariners on May 2, and Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 23).

28 The 22-year-old Kurtz was the youngest major league player to hit four home runs in a game, and the first rookie to do so. Billy Heyen, “Athletics’ Nick Kurtz is Youngest Player in MLB history to Hit 4 Home Runs in One Game,” sportingnews.com, July 25, 2025, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/athletics/news/athletics-nick-kurtz-youngest-player-mlb-history-4-home-runs/b6e8d32281362d5b062de1c2. Kurtz was the unanimous choice for 2025 AL Rookie of the Year. The first baseman / designated hitter batted .290 with 36 home runs, 86 RBIs, and had an OPS of 1.002. He also received a Silver Slugger Award in 2025.

29 At the July 31 trade deadline, Arizona was in selling mode and Seattle was buying. Suárez went to the Mariners in exchange for minor leaguer Hunter Cranton (a right-handed pitcher), first baseman Tyler Locklear and righty pitcher Juan Burgos. A few days prior to the Suárez trade, the Diamondbacks had dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle.

30 118 RBIs was a career high for Suárez. With his 49 homers he matched a career high (he also hit 49 in 2019 while with the Reds).

31 Steve Gilbert, “Eugenio’s High-Intensity Training Regimen Leads to 2nd All-Star Nod,” MLB.com, July 14, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/news/eugenio-suarez-earns-all-star-status-with-diamondbacks.