Braun bashes 3 HRs, triple

Ryan Braun hit three homers and then tripled at Petco Park in leading the Brewers to an 8-3 win over the Padres on Monday.

Braun struggled this spring while dealing with a possible 50-game steroids suspension that was later overturned, but he?s been locked in since Opening Day. He?s now tied for second in the NL in homers with seven. Only Matt Kemp, who was the runner up to Braun in the MVP balloting last year, tops that total, though he has 12 already.

With the three homers and a triple, Braun became the first major leaguer to amass 15 total bases in a game since Boston?s Dustin Pedroia against the Rockies on June 24, 2010. The previous National Leaguer to do it was Albert Pujols on July 20, 2004. Curtis Granderson just missed with his three-homer game earlier this season; he also had two singles, giving him 14 total bases in the contest.

Braun also tied his career high with six RBI in the contest. It was his first career three-homer game. The Brewers actually had three three-homer games last year: one each from Corey Hart, Casey McGehee and Prince Fielder. Going into 2011, they hadn?t had one since 2003.

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