WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals tied a major league record on Thursday by hitting five home runs in an inning.
The barrage came in the bottom of the third against Milwaukee Brewers starter Michael Blazek and included back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers.
After Nats pitcher Max Scherzer drew a walk to start the frame, leadoff man Brian Goodwin homered to right field. Wilmer Difo followed by going deep to right center. After that, Bryce Harper drilled one over the wall in left-center, and then cleanup hitter Ryan Zimmerman punctuated the string with a homer of his own to left-center. After a Daniel Murphy flyout that drew mock boos from the Camp Day crowd at Nats Park, Anthony Rendon launched one over the wall in left-center for Washington's fifth home run of the inning.
"It was fun," Harper said. "We got a lineup that could possibly do some special things. With the guys we have in this lineup right now, anything can happen."
Washington became the sixth team to hit five home runs in an inning. The Brewers had done it the previous time in 2006.
The four straight homers also tied an MLB mark, last accomplished by the Diamondbacks in August of 2011. Of the eight teams that have gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back, the Nationals are the first club to do it with the one-through-four hitters. Blazek, who was making his first career start after 108 career relief appearances, is the first hurler to surrender five home runs in one inning.
Scherzer, who turned 32 on Thursday, said afterward that he was happy to receive the run support.
"Yeah, what a birthday gift," he said. "I said coming in here I wanted to get a win and a knock. So the guys showed up today, put an ungodly amount of runs up there, 15 runs, oh man, what a pitcher's best friend."
Washington homered eight times in the 15-2 win, including two each by Harper and Zimmerman. All of the homers came in the first four innings. The eight round-trippers in one game tied the franchise record set by the 1978 Montreal Expos.
The major league record for homers in a game is 10, and the National League mark is nine.
"It's like you almost can't believe it, and we'll take it," Washington manager Dusty Baker said. "The guys, I mean, that was some kind of inning and then the next inning also, so we had a big offensive barrage today, gave Max a birthday present, and he'll always take that. We preserved our bullpen, so it was just a good day overall."