A rare homer hat trick for L.A., the Pirates' triple threat and more

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Andre Ethier became just the 10th Dodger to hit three home runs in a game since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958. AP David Sabino's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for David Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

We've reached the end of the third month of a six-month season and triples, round-trippers and a single RBI make up the meaty goodness of this end-of-June version of Diamond Digits.

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Home runs on Friday night against the Mariners by Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, to join Torii Hunter of the Angels as the only players to get a hat trick of homers this season.

Like Hunter, who touched up the Padres on June 13, Ethier's blasts came in interleague play (bringing the grand total up to 13 three-homer games since games between the leagues began in 1997). Coincidentally, the last Dodger to go yard three times was first baseman Hee Seop Choi, who blasted three solo shots in an interleague game against the Twins on June 12, 2005. Ethier's was just the 10th game of three or more home runs since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, with just one Dodger, Shawn Green, doing it multiple times (four in 2002 against the Brewers and three in 2001 against the Expos). Over that same span, the only pre-expansion team with fewer three-homer games is the White Sox with just eight such performances.

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Straight games in which Pirates rookie center fielder Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates tripled during his first month of big-league service.

On Tuesday against the Indians McCutchen went 1 for 5 with an RBI single, snapping the rare streak. But since his debut on June 4, McCutchen has tripled five times, most in the majors in that span. He's tied for the second-most overall this season, trailing only Kansas City's David DeJesus and Houston's Michael Bourn, who both have six. McCutchen is also the first rookie to triple in three straight games since Houston's Luke Scott in 2006, and the first Pittsburgh rookie to do it since Bob Elliott in 1940. The only players during the expansion era with a longer three-bagger streak were Nomar Garciaparra, Tommy Herr, Sammy Sosa and Billy Williams, all with four. And in that same span, just three players have had two streaks of three or more games, Garciaparra (four and three), Williams (four and three) and Deion Sanders (three twice).

Milestone of the Week

On Sunday night Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became the first American League pitcher to reach 500 saves by closing out a three-game sweep of the Mets. Rivera also drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the ninth against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez to give him a two-run cushion in the game, coincidentally his first career RBI. Rivera's a virtual lock to be selected for the Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible, and as such, he has escaped an unprecedented fate. No man selected to the Hall of Fame as a player had zero career RBIs to their credit. The lowest RBI total among everyone enshrined is two by longtime Yankees and Padres reliever Goose Gossage, who drove in the only runs of his career as a Pirate in 1977. Among everyone in the Hall who played in the big leagues, neither Tommy Lasorda nor Walter Alston drove in a run, but both were selected for the Hall as legendary Dodgers managers, not for their playing prowess.

Best Stats of the Week

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins

After a slow start, the Marlins shortstop is sizzling again, batting .385 for the week to raise his average to .356 for the month of June. Ramirez was an RBI machine in games against the Orioles and Rays, feasting for 15 RBIs and keeping alive a streak of eight straight contests with at least one run driven in, the longest in the National League this season. He also chipped in three home runs, three doubles and two steals for averages of .385/.429/.846.

Honorable mention: Jermaine Dye, Jayson Werth, Josh Bard, Alex Rodriguez, Nate Schierholtz, Jack Wilson, Chad Gaudin, Tommy Hanson, J.P. Howell, Aaron Cook, Zack Greinke.

Worst Stats of the Week

Nick Johnson, 1B, Nationals

The subject of numerous trade rumors, Johnson took the collar for the week, going 0 for 17 in five games against the Red Sox and Orioles. However it wasn't a totally lost week: He managed to reach base twice, both times by getting hit by pitches, and scored two runs. And in none of those 17 fruitless at-bats did he strike out.

Dishonorable mention: Milton Bradley, Luis Valbuena, Corey Hart, Khalil Greene, Alex Rios, Walter Silva, Billy Buckner.