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Rookie Standout Spencer Horowitz Crushes 2 Home Runs, Ties Toronto Blue Jays Record

Toronto Blue Jays rookie Spencer Horwitz turned in a historic performance against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, going 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs and three RBI.

Sam Connon

Sep 7, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park.
Sep 7, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Spencer Horwitz gave the Toronto Blue Jays the spark they needed on offense Saturday night, and his historic performance at the plate set the stage for a comfortable interleague victory.

Horwitz led off the top of the second inning with a 420-foot home run to center, putting the Blue Jays up 1-0 over the Atlanta Braves. When the 26-year-old rookie stepped up to the plate again in the fourth, he made it a 2-0 ballgame with a 421-foot solo shot.

Toronto held a 4-0 lead by the end of that frame, eventually going up 9-1 in the ninth. The Braves plated a couple runs in the bottom of the final inning, but the Blue Jays still won 9-5.

Horwitz finished the evening 4-for-5 with a single, double, two home runs, three runs and three RBI.

According to TSN's StatsCentre, Horwitz became the fourth player in Blue Jays history to post at least one single, one double, two home runs and three RBI in a road game. Nobody had put up that stat line for the franchise since John Olerud in 1994.

The 11 total bases Horwitz racked up also tied the franchise record for most by a rookie in a single game. Randy Ruiz set the record in 2009, J.P. Arencibia matched it in 2010 and Arencibia and Felipe Lopez both achieved the feat in 2011.

Horwitz is now batting .269 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, 32 RBI, an .807 OPS and 1.4 WAR through 79 games this season. The left-handed slugger may only be hitting .241 with a .759 OPS since the All-Star break, but he boasts a .407 batting average and 1.263 OPS over his last seven games.

The Blue Jays now have a chance to steal a road series from the Braves, with first pitch for Sunday's finale scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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