It’s the stuff of childhood sports dreams.
Brothers Bo and Josh Naylor didn’t just make it to the big leagues. They also play on the same team. Bo is a rookie catcher for the Cleveland Guardians. Josh is a fifth-year first baseman for the same team.
On Friday, they both hit home runs — in the same inning. Bo kicked the scoring Friday night against the Rangers with a two-run outburst against Texas starter Jon Gray in the top of the third inning.
The 435-foot blast in the right-field stands was the second homer of his MLB career.
Four batters later, Bo doubled Cleveland’s advantage with a two-run shot. This one, also off Gray, was dropped into the stands just inside the right-field foul post.
Unfortunately for the Guardians, that was the end of their scoring as Rangers took a 12-4 win. But the loss didn’t spoil the moment for the Naylors, who became the first pair of brothers to hit home runs for the same team in the same inning since 2013. Bo spoke to reporters about what it meant to him after the game.
“It’s super special,” Bo said. “I think it was something we talked about, joked about in the past. Seeing it happen is pretty crazy to think about.
“When I hit mine he and I had a great time, you could see how excited he was for me. And when he hit his I was on the top step, at the wait. It was just a cool moment to share with him.”
The moment marked only the ninth time since 1900 that brothers have homered for the same team in the same inning. The last time it happened, Justin and BJ Upton did it for the Atlanta Braves in 2013. The time before that? Also the Upton brothers, this tie a few weeks ago.
Josh is well entrenched in Guardians roster as a cleanup hitter. Bo is a highly touted prospect who was a 2018 first-round pick. He’s a regular starter in his first season in MLB. Chances are it won’t be another 13 years before baseball sees the feat again.