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Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien makes MLB history with 44th home run of season

Marcus Semien has broken the record for most single-season home runs by a second baseman. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Marcus Semien has broken the record for most single-season home runs by a second baseman. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

TORONTO — No second baseman has ever hit more homers in a single season than Marcus Semien.

The Toronto Blue Jays infielder hit a Gerrit Cole fastball 386 feet and out of the park on Wednesday against the New York Yankees for a two-run home run, his 44th of the season, which ensured he surpassed Davey Johnson’s 1973 mark for most single-season long balls by a second baseman.

Semien’s 44th made it 2-0 Blue Jays in the bottom of the first inning as Toronto went on to win 6-5 to stay one game back in the Wild Card race with only four contests remaining in the regular season.

The 31-year-old Semien has put up career numbers this year, with a .267 average, 101 RBIs and an .879 OPS to go along with the barrage of home runs. His 7.2 WAR is tied for the third-best mark in all of baseball this year.

Semien signed a one-year, $18-million deal with the Blue Jays in January and is set to become a free agent in the offseason. The juggernaut numbers indicate a big payday is most likely on the horizon for the nine-year MLB veteran.

The Blue Jays made some more history in the bottom of the third inning, when Bo Bichette's solo shot earned him his 100th RBI of the campaign, giving Toronto four hitters with 100 or more runs driven in in a season for the first time ever. Bichette shares the milestone with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernández and Semien.

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