Gonzalez Becomes 1st Player with 5 Home Runs Through 3 Games

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had a memorable season-opening series against the San Diego Padres, as he became the first player in MLB history to hit five home runs through his team's first three games of a season, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info).

The fun started with a solo shot off Padres pitcher James Shields in the fourth inning of a 6-3 Opening Day win, with Gonzalez providing the Dodgers' first run of the season. He finished the game with three hits in five at-bats, needing only a triple to complete the cycle.

The 32-year-old first baseman then hit another solo home run to tie Tuesday's game at 3-3 in the eight inning, only to watch the Padres plate four ninth-inning runs against Dodgers pitcher Chris Hatcher, with help from an error by shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

Gonzalez made sure the Dodgers didn't drop their first series of the season, as he saved the real fireworks for Wednesday's rubber game.

He hit solo home runs in each of his first three at-bats, going deep off Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner in the first, third and fifth innings.

Gonzalez then added an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, and while it appeared he might get a fifth plate appearance, the Dodgers only got one runner on base for the rest of the game.

Gonzalez thus finished the series with 10 hits in 13 at-bats (.769 batting average), piling up five home runs, two doubles, seven runs and seven RBI.

He enters Friday's action as the early major league leader in batting average, home runs, RBI, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.