Rookies Yordan Alvarez, Aristides Aquino each hit three HR, make history

Saturday night was one for power-hitting rookies. The Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez and the Cincinnati Reds' Aristides Aquino each hit three home runs against the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Cubs, respectively. By doing so, the two rookies established several MLB firsts and sent the researchers at the Elias Sports Bureau into overtime duty.

According to Elias, Alvarez and Aquino became the first pair of rookies to each hit three home runs on the same day in MLB history. And that was only the beginning.

The 22-year-old Alvarez, who hit a grand slam among his three home runs and had seven RBI on Saturday, became the first Astros rookie to homer three times in a game. In addition Alvarez, who has 17 home runs and 51 RBI in just 45 games this season, is the first major league player to debut in the last 100 seasons to reach 50 RBI in 45 or fewer games. The previous fastest was future Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio, who needed 46 games to drive in 50 runs in 1936.

Alvarez, who was named the AL Rookie of the Month for both June and July, helped Houston set a franchise record with 23 runs and destroy Baltimore, 23-2. The Astros won their eighth straight game.

Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Aquino homered in the second and third innings off Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks and in the fourth inning against reliever Dillon Maples, becoming the first player in franchise history, as well as the first rookie on any team, to hit a home run in three consecutive innings within a single game. In addition, the 25-year-old Aquino matched Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story's modern era record with seven home runs in his first 10 career games.

Aquino and the Reds crushed the Cubs, 10-1.

"That's why I put that show on out there, for the fans to enjoy that," Aquino said after the game through an interpreter.

Alvarez and Aquino shared one other thing on Saturday night: their jersey number. Both wear No. 44.