Trayce Thompson hit three home runs in one game. No, that is not an April Fool’s joke.

On Saturday, April 1, Trayce Thompson, the brother of Cougar basketball-great and NBA 3-point-wiz Klay Thompson hit three home runs in a single game in Los Angeles.

Trayce’s three home runs and eight RBIs helped the Los Angeles Dodgers beat their National League West rival Arizona Diamondbacks, 10-1.

His first home run was a grand slam in the first inning off of Diamondbacks starter and former San Francisco Giants left-handed ace Madison Bumgarner.

Trayce’s subsequent two home runs came off of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. He hit a three-run home run off right-hander Kevin Ginkel in the sixth inning and a solo shot off Carlos Vargas in the eighth.

He is the 655th player in the history of major league baseball to hit three home runs in a single game, according to Baseball Almanac.

The 32-year-old outfielder had a rough Spring Training. He batted 086 (3-for-35). In 2022, he batted  .174 with a .621 OPS against left-handed pitchers, according to FanNation.

The fact that his first of three home runs came off a prominent left-handed starter like Bumgarner speaks well to his ability to solidify his performance and contribute to a team as competitive as the Dodgers.

He contributed to Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic run, compiling three hits and three walks, including a double and a home run.

Trayce’s brother Klay shouted out his brother’s historic accomplishment on his Instagram story.

“It’s just a good way to start the year. It’s still early. You still have to wake up tomorrow and go out and help this team win a game but I know I can do it,” Trayce said after the game.

With eight RBIs in his 2023 season debut, Trayce became the first player to drive in eight or more runs in a season debut since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920, according to ESPN.

Trayce’s three-home run day backed up Dodgers’ starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts in his first start of the season.

“I couldn’t be happier for Trayce; it was really cool,” Kershaw said. “That’s a good month right there. He can sit on that for a while. But he’s the best, man, so I’m happy for him and it’s a great way to get going for the season.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he plans to put Trayce in the lineup again Sunday.

“I developed a new three-homer rule,” Roberts said. “If you hit three homers, you’ll play the next day.”

Trayce’s 0-for-4 Sunday outing brought him back to Earth, but he is still tied with CJ Cron (Colorado Rockies) for the major league lead in home runs with three as of Sunday.