Sports include many games structured in threes. In baseball, there are three strikes and you are out, three outs to an inning, and a trinity of trinities (3X3), in other words, 9 innings. Do you know about "Tinker to Evers to Chance?" Pictured to the right is none other than Joe Dimaggio.
Thomas Muller (center) notched a hat trick to lead Germany past Portugal. (Getty Images)
FINAL SCORE: Germany 4, Portugal 0
This was one of the most anticipated battles of the opening round of matches. Germany, one of the favorites to win the World Cup, taking on Portugal, led by perhaps the best player in the world in Ronaldo. “The Superpower versus the Superstar,” as ESPN said before the match.
Well, that went out the window very quickly.
Portugal actually looked like the better side for the first 10 minutes or so, getting some chances on the counter with Ronaldo and Nani speeding up the flanks, and the midfielders looking to dispossess Phillipp Lahm and Semi Khedira in the center of the mark. But then Joao Pereira yanked down Mario Gotze inside the box, leading to a penalty call from the referee. Thomas Muller buried it from the spot.
October 18th, 1977: In one of the greatest postseason displays in the history of Major League Baseball (or any sport, for that matter), New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson shocked the world when he clobbered three home runs on three pitches from three different pitchers in Game 6 of the World Series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees won the game 8-4 and went on to win the series, and legend of “Mr. October” was officially born. Here are a few more memorable moments of Reggie Jackson’s career.
1977 World Series Game 6 - Reggie Jackson belts three homers
Three Home Runs, World Series Game
Player
Year
Game
Pablo Sandoval
2012
1
Albert Pujols
2011
3
Reggie Jackson
1977
6
Babe Ruth
1928
4
Babe Ruth
1926
4
— ESPN Stats & Information
Reggie Jackson appeared in five World Series, two with the Oakland A’s and three with the New York Yankees. Only in 1981, a year in which there was a strike, did Jackson’s team lose. Jackson hit .357/.457/.755 with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs in 27 World Series games.
All-time World Series home run leader Mickey Mantle appeared in 12 World Series. The Yankees won seven of them, but in 1955 and 1957, an injured Mantle missed a major portion of each Series. Brooklyn beat the Yankees in 1955 and the Milwaukee Braves won in 1957.
Mantle hit .257/.374/.535 with 18 home runs and 40 RBIs in his World Series career.
Babe Ruth batted .326/.467/.744 in 10 World Series. He hit 15 home runs, which was the record until Mantle came along, and batted in 33 runs.
Lou Gehrig batted .361/.477/.731 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in his seven World Series.
