The Yankees hit four home runs in the first inning off Brewers starter Nestor Cortes on Saturday, starting with three consecutive homers on three pitches. Their nine home runs broke the franchise record of eight and was one short of the MLB record, 10 homers in a single game accomplished by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987.

Torpedo bats are just the latest innovation in the design of baseball bats, some of which stuck, and others which ... did not.

By now, you’ve probably heard about baseball’s greatest innovation since the curveball: MLB’s new “torpedo” bat, the reconfigured bat that moves the barrel — or the sweet spot — closer to the handle, seemingly turning even the most meager of hitters into home run machines.