ST. LOUIS -- Eugenio Suarez planted a home run into the center-field batter’s eye at Busch Stadium during Sunday afternoon's 4-3 loss to the Cardinals, and in so doing, planted himself firmly in Reds history.
His 40th big fly of the season broke a tie with Tony Perez and set a club record for home runs hit by a third baseman. Suarez, who set 40 home runs as his personal goal this offseason, was thrilled with his achievement.
“It made me feel so happy,” Suarez said, “so proud of myself because I feel like I did it, you know? Another dream came true today when I hit that 40th homer right to center field. I just ran the bases and said, ‘Thank you God for giving me this opportunity to be part of the 40-homer club and to be the sixth Venezuelan player to hit 40 homers.'”
The other natives of Venezuela with that accomplishment are Andres Galarraga (who did so three times), Miguel Cabrera (twice), Richard Hidalgo, Tony Armas and Carlos Gonzalez. Galarraga’s 47 home runs for Colorado in 1996 are a record for a Venezuelan player, and with a month still to play, they represent Suarez’s new goal.
“I already got 40, so why not go for 47 or more?” Suarez said. “I just put my mind on that and keep doing what I’m doing, keep working hard to see what happens at the end of the season.”
Suarez’s homer was projected at 410 feet by Statcast, and it landed mere inches over the glove of Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader. The home run was Suarez’s second of the weekend and fifth overall this season against St. Louis, his second highest total against any team.
“I did [get up there]. I’ve always been a fan of him, watching him and the ball off his bat,” Bader said. “He just -- I was perfectly under it, just his ability to have that backspin, it carries a little bit more. On the way down, I knew it was out of my reach. That’s part of the game.”
As Suarez rounded the bases, his teammates flashed the number 40 at him on their fingers from the dugout. Suarez credited pitcher Sonny Gray with spurring him to reach his goal Sunday with a morning conversation about how close he was to achieving it.
“Sonny Gray told me today, 'What about 40 today?” Suarez explained. “And I said, ‘OK.' I was doing my best, and I did it. That number, that’s fun.
“That’s fun to run the bases and see my teammates do that. It made me feel happy and proud of my teammates who help me. They support me and that’s important too for me.”
Suarez said that he paid special attention to the achievements of Galarraga as a youth because Galarraga was his mother’s favorite player from Venezuela. Presumably, she has a new favorite now.
“When you write Galarraga, Miguel, Hidalgo, those guys like that, as a power player from Venezuela, it makes me feel so happy, so proud of myself. I just always say, 'Thanks God for giving me the opportunity to play this beautiful game and do my best every day.' Today was a really special homer for me," Suarez said.