Shea Langeliers Makes History, Lifts Oakland Athletics to Victory With 3 Home Runs

Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers came through with three clutch home runs against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, making MLB history in the process.

Apr 9, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) is greeted at home plate. / Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Athletics got off to an uninspiring start in 2024, opening the year with a 1-7 record.

On top of their impending move to Sacramento, and then Las Vegas, fans didn't have much to cheer for through the first week of regular season action.

That all changed Tuesday night, courtesy of catcher Shea Langeliers.

After the A's went down 1-0 in the first inning of their showdown with the Texas Rangers, Langeliers answered with a game-tying solo home run in the top of the second. Texas pulled back ahead with another run in the bottom of the frame, although Langeliers once again knotted up the score with solo shot in the top of the seventh.

The Rangers re-took the lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh, and they carried that 3-2 advantage into the ninth inning. That's when Langeliers blasted his third home run of the night, this time driving in two runs on his bomb to left center.

SHEA LANGELIERS.

HIS THIRD HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xaFZal0RZZ

— MLB (@MLB) April 10, 2024

Langeliers put Oakland up 4-3, which wound up being the final score.

According to OptaSTATS, Langeliers became the first player in MLB history to hit a game-winning home run in the ninth inning for his third deficit-erasing home run of a single game.

Last night Shea Langeliers of the @Athletics became the first player in MLB history to hit a game-winning HR in the 9th for his third deficit-erasing HR of the game. pic.twitter.com/33X6QNuWtm

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 10, 2024

The A's had already started to turn the tides by taking two out of three against the Detroit Tigers over the weekend, but opening a three-game series against the reigning World Series champions with a win puts the team in an even better spot. After all, Oakland didn't win its first series of 2023 until May 6, and it didn't win its second until May 30.

With 2024 being the Athletics' final year in Oakland and at the Coliseum, perhaps they can go out on a relative high note. Langeliers is doing his best on that front, at the very least.

Langeliers is batting .250 on the season, leading Oakland with four home runs, seven RBI and a .931 OPS. The former top prospect has been the club's third-most valuable player so far this year, boasting a 0.5 WAR through 10 appearances.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.