Who did Hank Aaron hit career home run #715 off of in 1974?

Hank Aaron hit career home run number 715 off Al Downing in 1974. The historic blast came on April 8 at Atlanta Stadium, when Aaron’s Atlanta Braves faced Downing and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Aaron’s homer broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 714 career home runs. He hit the ball over the left-field fence in the fourth inning, and the moment was celebrated by a roaring Atlanta crowd. Aaron finished the game with four hits, while the Braves defeated the Dodgers 7–4.

Downing was a left-handed pitcher who had spent much of his career with the New York Yankees before joining Los Angeles. Although he surrendered one of baseball’s most famous home runs, he continued pitching for the Dodgers afterward and appeared in the 1974 World Series. The common mix-up is with Aaron’s final career total: number 715 broke Ruth’s record, but Aaron eventually finished with 755 home runs, a mark later surpassed by Barry Bonds.