Joey Votto smacked three home runs Wednesday as the Cincinnati Reds routed the Chicago Cubs 9-0.
"I've had several two-homer games, but no threes," said Votto, who had never hit three homers in one game on any level, even when he was in high school.
After the third, he said, "Honestly, I was like a kid."
Four of the Reds' seven home runs came in the bottom of the second off Jon Lieber, who tied a major league record for most homers allowed in one inning.
Adam Dunn, Paul Bako, Jerry Hairston jnr and Brandon Phillips also went deep for Cincinnati, which took two of three games in the series.
"That's how things go, they go in streaks," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Home runs go in streaks. Bad hitting goes in streaks and good hitting goes in streaks."
Votto and Dunn opened the second with back-to-back homers. Lieber induced Edwin Encarnacion to pop up, but then gave up another solo shot to Bako. Three batters later, Hairston belted a two-run homer to make it 5-0.
The Reds tied a team mark for homers in an inning, last accomplished on August 17, 1996 against the Colorado Rockies.
Lieber, who was lifted in the third inning, became only the second Cubs' pitcher to give up four homers in one inning, along with Phil Norton who did it against Atlanta in 2000.
Phillips and Votto hit back-to-back homers off Sean Marshall in the fifth to give the Reds a 7-0 lead. In the sixth, Votto hit a two-run shot off Sean Gallagher.
Votto, who had just eight career home runs coming into the game, became the first Red with three homers in a game since Aaron Boone against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003.
"The first was important because it started off the scoring," Votto said. "The second one was nice to have and the third one was really, really cool because it's the first time I've ever done that."
Votto but grounded out in the eighth.
"I'm not going to lie," Votto said of a chance for a fourth home run. "It was in the back of my mind."
