CHICAGO -- Dad Mode: Activated.

After Seth Brown went on the paternity list on Monday to welcome his first son, Cannon, the A’s first baseman was back on Friday night to face the White Sox. 

As a new dad, Brown slugged two home runs en route to an A’s 7-3 victory over Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field. 

“That’s pretty amazing,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “He actually flew in on a red-eye last night. So we were joking with him before the game that now he’s got dad strength.”

It’s been an eventful couple of days for Brown. He welcomed his son into the world on Tuesday, then took a red-eye flight from Oregon and landed in Chicago early Friday morning.

But even with the little-to-no sleep the new dad was running on (5-6 total hours over the last three nights), he was ready to win because he knew his wife and son were back home and healthy.

“As I was running, I just knew my wife was holding my son,” Brown said. “So I think that’s what I’ll remember most, picturing my wife holding my son.”

Brown’s two big blasts on Friday were some of his hardest-hit balls of the season and of his career. His first home run had an exit velocity of 112.2 mph, the hardest-hit homer of his career. It was also his third hardest-hit ball of the season. His second home run in the eighth was rocketed at 111.5 mph, the third hardest-hit homer of his career.

And there seems to be only one reason for it: his new dad strength.

“Pretty cool to welcome him back to the team and see him use that dad strength he’s now got,” starter James Kaprielian said after giving up one run over six innings.

The night was no doubt an emotional one for Brown. Before first pitch, his wife, Brittaney, texted him saying, “Cannon is ready for his first game.”

So, dad put on a show and made sure that he got those home run balls back as souvenirs.

“It’s incredible,” Brown said. “Just a special night being able to come back after having our son and just be back with the guys. I missed all these guys in here. Just hard to put into words.”

Brown’s two home runs sealed another victory for the A’s and continued their hot July.

After sweeping the AL West-leading Astros earlier in the week, the team’s fourth straight victory on Friday secured its first winning month of the season and its first since August 2021. With the win, the A’s are now 14-10 in July and 7-2 since the All-Star break.

“Great month,” Kotsay said. “Coming off one of our probably worst months. To come back from that and to go out and stay focused. Continue the mindset that we’re here to win baseball games and prepare to win each day. That message was sent early and they continue to believe in it, and I think this month was the sign that that’s the mindset.”

Oakland's impressive July comes after a brutal June that saw the team go 5-21 and the lack of home runs continue. Through June, the A’s had 54 home runs in 78 games.

But the bats started to heat up in July.

Six of the A’s runs on Friday came from the long ball. Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run shot in the second inning, Brown hit two and Elvis Andrus hit one in the sixth, as well.

That slugging has been key to the team’s success this month.

With the four homers on Friday, the A’s now have 33 total in July in 24 games. That puts them fifth in the Majors this month, behind the Yankees, Dodgers, Braves and Astros.

“I think the guys’ confidence continues to grow and they’re swinging in the zone [with] good pitches to hit and the results are there,” Kotsay said. “We talk about [how] hitting is contagious and I think that’s also something that happened this month, guys just getting more confidence and they are doing it together.”

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That power was once again displayed from the A’s in the victory, especially from Brown on his second career multihomer game. It will surely be a night that the new dad will always remember.

But is dad strength even real?

“I guess so,” Brown said. “I guess it’s a thing.”