KANSAS CITY, Mo.
In 621 career plate appearances, Rangers left fielder Delino DeShields Jr. had hit just four home runs. A former Rule 5 draft pick, he had cracked just two home runs in 2015 and another two this season. As the 23-year-old DeShields stepped to the plate against Luke Hochevar in the seventh inning, he had not hit a baseball over the fence since May 8.
That changed when Hochevar left a 94 mph fastball over the heart of the plate. DeShields dropped his barrel on the baseball and unleashed a quick and efficient stroke. The ball jumped off the bat and soared toward deep left, landing in the front row of the fountain seats in left-center field, just above the 387-foot sign.