While the 2014 Cooperstown Hall of Fame class was being inducted, the stars of today were getting busy on the diamond. It was Cleveland's Carlos Santana who had perhaps the most HOF-worthy performance of all, knocking two homers in the Indians' 10-3 win over Kansas City to become the first player to ever hit 5 home runs in a single series at Kauffman Stadium. The five homer stretch also tied a Cleveland record for most in a series and bumped Santana to 18 on the season, tied at #20 overall with Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt. Santana was a perfect 3-3 at the plate and also drove in 4 runs as the Indians avoided a series sweep. "I know I'm hot, but I'm taking the same approach. This can happen in this game when a player gets focused. It's a help to the team," Santana said after the game. For Cleveland, the win bumps them to third place in the AL Central at 52-53.
Around the league, there was a healthy balance of strong offensive and defensive showings. Hit the jump for a full rundown on yesterday's best.
Riley Jones is a freelance writer from Charlottesville, VA and a contributor to Sneaker Report. With an unshakable affinity for basketball and all things pop culture, he can be found on Twitter @rchrstphr.
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Ryan Howard Homers, Has 2 RBIs in the NB 4040v2
Shoe: New Balance 4040v2
Player: Ryan Howard
Game: Philadelphia vs. Arizona
Key Stat: 1 HR, 2 RBI
Matt Holiday Has a Strong Showing in the MVP Pro
Shoe: Nike Air MVP Pro Metal
Player: Matt Holliday
Game: St. Louis vs. CHC
Key Stat: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Carlos Santana Conquers Royals in the NB 4040v2
Shoe: New Balance 4040v2
Player: Carlos Santana
Game: Cleveland vs. Kansas City
Key Stat: 3-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Jacob deGrom Keeps Brewers Quiet in the Huarache Pro
Shoe: Nike Air Huarache Pro Mid
Player: Jacob deGrom
Game: NYM vs. Milwaukee
Key Stat: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 K
$60
Michael Brantley Helps Indians Avoid Sweep in the Huarache Pro
Shoe: Nike Air Huarache Pro Mid
Player: Michael Brantley
Game: Cleveland vs. Kansas City
Key Stat: 2-4, 1 RBI
$60
Tim Clark Wins the Canadian Open in the FJ Icon
Shoe: FootJoy Icon
Player: Tim Clark
Game: RBC Canadian Open
Key Stat: 263
$270
Yan Gomes Homers, Drives in a Pair of Runs in the Mizuno Vapor Elite 7
Shoe: Mizuno Vapor Elite 7
Player: Yan Gomes
Game: Cleveland vs. Kansas City
Key Stat: 3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI
