Grand slam (baseball)
Roger Connor, circa 1887.
In baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners ("bases loaded"), thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge,[better source needed] in which a grand slam involves taking all the possible tricks. The word slam, by itself, usually is connected with a loud sound, particularly of a door being closed with excess force; thus, slamming the door on one's opponent(s), in addition to the bat slamming the ball into a home run.
Contents
1 Notable highlights
2 Walk-off grand slams
3 Notable calls
4 World Series
5 Other Major League Postseason Grand Slams
6 All-star game
7 Career grand slam leaders
8 Single-season grand slam leaders
9 See also
10 References
11 Notes
12 Works cited
Notable highlights
Roger Connor is believed to have been the first major league player to hit a grand slam, on September 10, 1881, for the Troy Trojans. Although Charlie Gould hit one for the Boston Red Stockings (now the Atlanta Braves) in the National Association (NA) on September 5, 1871,[1] the NA is not recognized by MLB as a major league.
In 1987 Don Mattingly set the record for most grand slams in a single season with six.
Alex Rodriguez has 25 career grand slams, the most by any player in Major League Baseball history, passing Lou Gehrig's 23 on September 20, 2013. Don Mattingly set the one-season record with six grand slams in 1987 – remarkably, the only grand slams of his major league career. Travis Hafner tied Mattingly's Major League record in 2006, while in 2009, Albert Pujols tied the one-season National League record of five grand slams set by Ernie Banks in 1955.[2]
Several grand slams, the first being Connor's in 1881, consisted of a player hitting a walk-off grand slam for a one-run victory; some baseball observers call this an "ultimate grand slam".[3]Roberto Clemente is the only player to have hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in a one-run victory;[4] the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago Cubs 9–8 on July 25, 1956 at Forbes Field, a park known for its spacious outfield.
On April 10, 1980 – on Opening Day, the Milwaukee Brewers' Sixto Lezcano hit a walk-off Grand Slam, reportedly the first such feat on an Opening Day. (Lezcano also has the distinction of hitting a Grand Slam the previous year, also on Opening Day.)
During the 2005 major league season, grand slams accounted for 132 of the 5017 home runs hit (2.6%). On June 13–14, 2006, the Minnesota Twins hit grand slams in consecutive games against the Boston Red Sox, including a walk-off grand slam by Jason Kubel in the 12th inning on June 13.
In 2006, the Chicago White Sox hit grand slams in three consecutive games against the Houston Astros (June 23–25). Scott Podsednik hit the only grand slam of his career in the series opener. Joe Crede followed up with a slam of his own on Saturday, and Tadahito Iguchi hit a game tying grand slam in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in the series finale. (This followed a three run blast by Iguchi in the bottom of the eighth.) The White Sox became the first team to accomplish this since the Detroit Tigers in 1993. On the other hand, the 2007 Kansas City Royals surrendered grand slams in three straight games; two against the Baltimore Orioles (April 13–14) and one against the Tigers (April 16).
Also in 2006, Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians set a major league record by hitting five grand slams prior to the All-Star break, on his way to tying Mattingly for one season (his sixth was on August 13.) On July 16, Carlos Beltrán and Cliff Floyd of the New York Mets hit grand slams during an 11-run sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs, marking the eighth time two grand slams were hit in a team's at-bat (the fourth time in National League history).
Four players hit a grand slam in their first Major League at-bat: Bill Duggleby (1898), Jeremy Hermida (2005), Kevin Kouzmanoff (2006), and Daniel Nava (2011). Kouzmanoff, Nava, and Duggleby hit theirs on the first pitch; Hermida's grand slam was in a pinch-hit at bat.
Fernando Tatís (pictured with the Mets) is the only player to hit two grand slams in the same inning, with the Cardinals, in 1999.
Tony Cloninger is the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in one game, for the Atlanta Braves in a 1966 contest against the San Francisco Giants.
Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners became the first American League pitcher since the designated hitter rule went into effect in 1973 to hit a grand slam when he did so on June 23, 2008, off New York Mets ace Johan Santana in an interleague game.[5]
The only major leaguer to hit two grand slams in one inning is Fernando Tatís of the St. Louis Cardinals, on April 23, 1999 at Dodger Stadium, with both grand slams coming off Los Angeles' Chan Ho Park in the third inning. Tatis was only the second National League player to hit two grand slams in one game, joining Cloninger. Park was only the second pitcher in major league history to give up two grand slams in one inning; Bill Phillips of the Pittsburgh Pirates did it on August 16, 1890, one to Tom Burns and one to Malachi Kittridge, but Park was the first to give up both to the same batter. Tatis had never hit a grand slam before in his career. Bill Mueller is the only player to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in the same game, when he hit 2 on July 29, 2003 for the Boston Red Sox vs. the Texas Rangers. Robin Ventura is the only player to hit a grand slam in both games of a doubleheader, when he did so on May 20, 1999 for the New York Mets against the Milwaukee Brewers.
In Japan's professional league, the feat of multiple grand slams in a single inning by a team has been accomplished three times; most recently on April 1, 2007 by José Fernández and Takeshi Yamasaki of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The Daiei Hawks accomplished the feat in 1999.[6]
On August 25, 2011, the New York Yankees, hosting the Oakland A's, became the first team in MLB history to hit three grand slams in one game. Robinson Canó, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson took pitchers Rich Harden, Fautino de los Santos, and Bruce Billings deep, with each grand slam being hit in a different inning. Coming back from a 7–1 deficit, the second grand slam gave the Yankees their first lead of the game; they went on to win 22–9.[7][8][9]
On July 13, 2014, Buster Posey and batterymate Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants hit grand slams against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It marked the first time in Major League Baseball history that batterymates hit grand slams in the same game.[10]
On June 3, 2017, a record-breaking seven grand slams were hit on one day: one each for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and most notably, by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim whose Albert Pujols hit his 600th career home run.
Walk-off grand slams
A player on the home team that hits a grand slam in the ninth or subsequent inning, which wins his team the game, is known as a Walk-off grand slam.
Starting in the 1990s, a walk-off grand slam that erases a three-run deficit has come to be known as an ultimate grand slam.[11][12][13] There have been 30 such instances documented in major league history – all taking place during the regular season,[14] 15 of those coming with two outs.[15] Of the 30 home runs, only Roberto Clemente's was hit inside the park, at spacious Forbes Field on July 25, 1956.[a]Pirates manager/third base coach Bobby Bragan instructed him to stop at third, but Clemente ran through the stop sign to score the winning run.[18]Del Crandall's September 11, 1955, Alan Trammell's June 21, 1988,[19] and Chris Hoiles' May 17, 1996 grand slams occurred under the cliché situation: bases loaded, two outs, full count, bottom of the ninth inning, and down by three runs. The most recent ultimate grand slam was hit by Chicago Cubs' infielder David Bote on August 12, 2018. This grand slam also occurred under the cliché situation described above (except that the count was only 2-2), with the additional rarity that Bote hit his slam with his team down 3-0, becoming only the second player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in that situation.
Three players have hit two walk-off grand slams in a season, Cy Williams in 1926, Jim Presley in 1986, and Steve Pearce in 2017. Pearce's first was on July 27 (an 8–4 victory over the Oakland Athletics).[20] followed by his second on July 30 (an ultimate grand slam, for an 11–10 win over the Los Angeles Angels), becoming the first player in MLB history to hit multiple walk-off grand slams within the span of a single week.[21][22]
Only five pitchers in major league history have surrendered two game-ending grand slam home runs in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:
Satchel Paige of the St. Louis Browns, in 1952, to Sammy White of the Boston Red Sox on June 30, and to Eddie Joost of the Philadelphia Athletics on July 15.
Lindy McDaniel of the Chicago Cubs, in 1963, to Bob Aspromonte of the Houston Colt .45s on June 11, and to Jim Hickman of the New York Mets on August 9.
Lee Smith of the California Angels, in 1995, to Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics, on June 30, and to Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians on July 18.
Francisco Rodríguez of the New York Mets, in 2009, to rookies Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres, on August 7, and Justin Maxwell of the Washington Nationals on September 30. Rodríguez is the only pitcher to surrender two game-winning grand slams to two rookies.
Bud Norris of the Los Angeles Angels, in 2017, to Edwin Encarnación of the Cleveland Indians, on July 25, and Steve Pearce of the Toronto Blue Jays on July 30. Norris surrendered both in the same week, and it was the second game-winning walk-off grand slam by Pearce in the same week.
Only one player has hit a walk off grand slam in his last MLB at bat: Ramon Santiago. Playing for the Cincinnati Reds on September 27th, 2014 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ramon hit a 1-0 pitch from Pittsburgh's Bobby LaFromboise with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning with the score tied 6-6. No other MLB player has accomplished this feat in his last Major League at bat. MLB
Notable calls
"Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!"- used by longtime Seattle Mariners lead commentator Dave Niehaus from the 1995 season until his death in November 2010.[23] Currently used by Niehaus' longtime partner Rick Rizzs.
However, archives have surfaced showing Milwaukee Brewers longtime announcer Bob Uecker using the term "Grand Salami" back in 1982, when the offense-tending team were dubbed "Harvey's Wallbangers" (a reference to manager Harvey Kuenn, and a takeoff of the cocktail Harvey Wallbanger).
World Series
| Year | Game | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Inning | Score after HR | Final score | Series standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1920 | Game 5, October 10 | Elmer Smith, Cleveland | League Park | Burleigh Grimes, Brooklyn | 1st | 4–0 | 8–1, W | 3–2 CLE | The first slam in Series history, hit with none out in the 1st, is overshadowed when, in the 5th inning, Bill Wambsganss turns the only unassisted triple play ever in the Series. |
1936 | Game 2, October 2 | Tony Lazzeri, New York (AL) | Polo Grounds | Dick Coffman, New York (NL) | 3rd | 9–1 | 18–4, W | 1–1 | With President Roosevelt in attendance, Lazzeri hits a 2–2 pitch with one out to give the Yankees a sizable lead. |
1951 | Game 5, October 9 | Gil McDougald, New York (AL) | Polo Grounds | Larry Jansen, New York (NL) | 3rd | 5–1 | 13–1, W | 3–2 NYY | McDougald puts the Yankees up with 2 out in the 3rd. McDougald became the first rookie to get a postseason grand slam. |
1953 | Game 5, October 4 | Mickey Mantle, New York | Ebbets Field | Russ Meyer, Brooklyn | 3rd | 6–1 | 11–7, W | 3–2 NYY | After a two-out error by Gil Hodges, a hit batter and a walk, Mantle hits reliever Meyer's first pitch out of the park. |
1956 | Game 2, October 5 | Yogi Berra, New York | Ebbets Field | Don Newcombe, Brooklyn | 2nd | 6–0 | 13–8, L | 2–0 BKN | Berra's blast with 2 out is not enough to hold off the Dodgers in what becomes, at 3 hours 26 minutes, the longest 9-inning game in Series history until 1993. |
1956 | Game 7, October 10 | Moose Skowron, New York | Ebbets Field | Roger Craig, Brooklyn | 7th | 9–0 | 9–0, W | 4–3 NYY | The Yankees score all their runs on 4 HRs to seal the Series, with Skowron's wallop on the first pitch with none out ending the scoring. |
1960 | Game 3, October 8 | Bobby Richardson, New York | Yankee Stadium | Clem Labine, Pittsburgh | 1st | 6–0 | 10–0, W | 2–1 NYY | Richardson's HR with 1 out in the 1st starts him toward a Series-record 6 RBI. |
1962 | Game 4, October 8 | Chuck Hiller, San Francisco | Yankee Stadium | Marshall Bridges, New York | 7th | 6–2 | 7–3, W | 2–2 | With 2 out, Hiller hits the first grand slam by a National Leaguer in the Series. |
1964 | Game 4, October 11 | Ken Boyer, St. Louis | Yankee Stadium | Al Downing, New York | 6th | 4–3 | 4–3, W | 2–2 | With men on 1st and 2nd, Bobby Richardson's error with 1 out while seeking a double play opens the gate for Boyer to hit his pivotal blast. |
1964 | Game 6, October 14 | Joe Pepitone, New York | Sportsman's Park | Gordie Richardson, St. Louis | 8th | 8–1 | 8–3, W | 3–3 | With 2 out, Pepitone hits one onto the roof of the right field pavilion to help force Game 7. |
1968 | Game 6, October 9 | Jim Northrup, Detroit | Busch Stadium | Larry Jaster, St. Louis | 3rd | 8–0 | 13–1, W | 3–3 | Northrup's HR with none out is the highlight of a 10-run inning which puts the Tigers ahead 12–0. |
1970 | Game 3, October 13 | Dave McNally, Baltimore | Memorial Stadium | Wayne Granger, Cincinnati | 6th | 8–1 | 9–3, W | 3–0 | Besides his 2-out HR, McNally also pitches a complete game to put Baltimore within one win of the title. |
1987 | Game 1, October 17 | Dan Gladden, Minnesota | Metrodome | Bob Forsch, St. Louis | 4th | 7–1 | 10–1, W | 1–0 MIN | Gladden's HR with none out caps a 7-run inning which ends the Cardinals' 25-inning shutout streak. |
1987 | Game 6, October 24 | Kent Hrbek, Minnesota | Metrodome | Ken Dayley, St. Louis | 6th | 10–5 | 11–5, W | 3–3 | With 2 out, Hrbek hits reliever Dayley's first pitch out of the park. |
1988 | Game 1, October 15 | José Canseco, Oakland | Dodger Stadium | Tim Belcher, Los Angeles | 2nd | 4–2 | 5–4, L | 1–0 LAD | With 2 out, Canseco hits his first major league grand slam on a 1–0 pitch; but Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run wins it for the Dodgers. |
1992 | Game 5, October 22 | Lonnie Smith, Atlanta | SkyDome | Jack Morris, Toronto | 5th | 7–2 | 7–2, W | 3–2 TOR | With 2 out, Smith's HR helps keep the Braves alive in the Series. |
1998 | Game 1, October 17 | Tino Martinez, New York | Yankee Stadium | Mark Langston, San Diego | 7th | 9–5 | 9–6, W | 1–0 NYY | Martinez' 2-out HR follows Chuck Knoblauch's 3-run game-tying shot earlier in the inning. |
2005 | Game 2, October 23 | Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox | U.S. Cellular Field | Chad Qualls, Houston Astros | 7th | 6–4 | 7–6, W | 2–0 CHW | Konerko's 2-out shot to left on reliever Qualls' first pitch gives the White Sox a 6–4 lead, but Scott Podsednik later wins it with a walk-off home run, after Houston tied it at 6 with two outs in the top of the 9th. |
2016 | Game 6, November 1 | Addison Russell, Chicago Cubs | Progressive Field | Dan Otero, Cleveland Indians | 3rd | 7–0 | 9–3, W | 3–3 | With the grand slam Russell tied the MLB record of 6 RBI in a World Series game, as well as the most on a team facing elimination from the World Series. This is the first MLB grand slam to happen in November.[24] |
Other Major League Postseason Grand Slams
| Series | Game | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Inning | Score after HR | Final score | Series standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 ALCS | Game 1, October 3 | Mike Cuellar, Baltimore | Metropolitan Stadium | Jim Perry, Minnesota | 4th | 7–2 | 10–6, W | 1–0 BAL | In the first grand slam in the history of the LCS, Cuellar, who batted only .089 in the regular season, pulls the ball down the right field line with one out; clearly foul when passing first base, the 29 mph wind carries it fair. Cuellar himself does not last through the fifth inning. |
1977 NLCS | Game 1, October 4 | Ron Cey, Los Angeles | Dodger Stadium | Steve Carlton, Philadelphia | 7th | 5–5 | 7–5, L | 1–0 PHI | With two out, Cey fouls off three full-count pitches before tying the game, but three singles and a balk in the 9th give the Phillies the win. |
1977 NLCS | Game 2, October 5 | Dusty Baker, Los Angeles | Dodger Stadium | Jim Lonborg, Philadelphia | 4th | 5–1 | 7–1, W | 1–1 | After Steve Garvey is walked intentionally with one out, Baker gives the Dodgers their second grand slam in as many nights. |
1982 ALCS | Game 4, October 9 | Don Baylor, California | Milwaukee County Stadium | Moose Haas, Milwaukee | 8th | 5–7 | 9–5, L | 2–2 | After Haas takes a no-hitter into the 6th in a game delayed twice by rain, Baylor brings the Angels within two runs with one out in the 8th. |
1989 NLCS | Game 1, October 4 | Will Clark, San Francisco | Wrigley Field | Greg Maddux, Chicago | 4th | 8–3 | 11–3, W | 1–0 SF | With two out, Clark hits the first pitch for his second HR of the game; he also singles, doubles and walks, picking up an NLCS-record 6 RBI. |
1992 NLCS | Game 2, October 7 | Ron Gant, Atlanta | Fulton County Stadium | Bob Walk, Pittsburgh | 5th | 8–0 | 13–5, W | 2–0 ATL | With two out, Gant hits his first career grand slam to double the Braves' lead. |
1995 NLDS | Game 3, October 6 | Mark Lewis, Cincinnati | Riverfront Stadium | Mark Guthrie, Los Angeles | 6th | 7–1 | 10–1, W | 3–0 CIN | After Guthrie enters the game with none out, Lewis hits the first pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, propelling the Reds to their eighth straight playoff victory and their eighth NLCS. |
1995 ALDS | Game 4, October 7 | Edgar Martínez, Seattle | Kingdome | John Wetteland, New York | 8th | 10–6 | 11–8, W | 2–2 | After hitting a 3-run HR in the 3rd to cut NY's lead to two runs, Martinez hits another to center field to take the lead for good, finishing with a postseason-record 7 RBI. A walk, bunt single and hit batter had loaded the bases with none out. |
1996 ALDS | Game 1, October 1 | Bobby Bonilla, Baltimore | Camden Yards | Paul Shuey, Cleveland | 6th | 9–3 | 10–4, W | 1–0 BAL | After two walks, a single, a sacrifice fly and a hit batter, Shuey enters the game and is greeted by Bonilla's blast with two out. |
1996 ALDS | Game 3, October 4 | Albert Belle, Cleveland | Jacobs Field | Armando Benítez, Baltimore | 7th | 8–4 | 9–4, W | 2–1 BAL | After Orioles starter Mike Mussina is controversially pulled after six innings, Jesse Orosco walks the bases loaded and is replaced; Belle crushes an 0–2 pitch with none out to keep the Indians alive in the series. It would be Belle's final hit as an Indian. |
1996 NLCS | Game 2, October 10 | Gary Gaetti, St. Louis | Fulton County Stadium | Greg Maddux, Atlanta | 7th | 8–3 | 8–3, W | 1–1 | In an inning featuring two walks, an error and a wild pitch, Gaetti wallops the first pitch with two out. Maddux surrenders his second grand slam in 34.2 NLCS innings after allowing only one in 2365.2 regular season innings. |
1997 NLDS | Game 3, October 3 | Devon White, Florida | 3Com Park | Wilson Álvarez, San Francisco | 6th | 4–1 | 6–2, W | 3–0 FLA | With two out, Florida gets a pair of singles and a walk before White hits Alvarez' 113th pitch to left field. The Marlins advance to their first NLCS, in their fifth year of play. |
1997 ALDS | Game 3, October 4 | Paul O'Neill, New York | Jacobs Field | Chad Ogea, Cleveland | 4th | 6–1 | 6–1, W | 2–1 NYY | After starter Charles Nagy walks the bases loaded, O'Neill greets Ogea with a blast to center field with two out as rain begins to fall. |
1998 NLDS | Game 1, September 30 | Ryan Klesko, Atlanta | Turner Field | Matt Karchner, Chicago | 7th | 7–0 | 7–1, W | 1–0 ATL | Klesko's homer with two out, following three walks, secures the win for the Braves. |
1998 NLDS | Game 3, October 3 | Eddie Pérez, Atlanta | Wrigley Field | Rod Beck, Chicago | 8th | 6–0 | 6–2, W | 3–0 ATL | After Andruw Jones is walked intentionally, Pérez hits a homer with one out to wrap up the series for the Braves, sending the Cubs to their sixth straight playoff loss. |
1998 NLCS | Game 4, October 11 | Andrés Galarraga, Atlanta | Qualcomm Stadium | Dan Miceli, San Diego | 7th | 8–3 | 8–3, W | 3–1 SD | After Miceli enters the game, Galarraga caps a 6-run inning with a 459-foot blast to left-center with two out, helping to force a Game 5. |
1998 ALCS | Game 6, October 13 | Jim Thome, Cleveland | Yankee Stadium | David Cone, New York | 5th | 5–6 | 9–5, L | 4–2 NYY | Thome's shot into the third deck with one out pulls the Indians within a run, but it isn't enough for the defending AL champions as the Yankees advance to the World Series. |
1999 NLDS | Game 1, October 5 | Edgardo Alfonzo, New York | Bank One Ballpark | Bobby Chouinard, Arizona | 9th | 8–4 | 8–4, W | 1–0 NYM | Alfonzo hits his second HR of the game inside the left field foul pole with two out, after Robin Ventura was forced out at the plate one play earlier. |
1999 ALDS | Game 2, October 7 | Jim Thome, Cleveland | Jacobs Field | John Wasdin, Boston | 4th | 11–1 | 11–1, W | 2–0 CLE | After a 6-run 3rd inning highlighted by Harold Baines' 3-run HR, Thome makes it a blowout, ending a 5-run inning with a two-out shot and becoming the first player to hit two postseason grand slams. |
1999 ALDS | Game 5, October 11 | Troy O'Leary, Boston | Jacobs Field | Charles Nagy, Cleveland | 3rd | 7–5 | 12–8, W | 3–2 BOS | O'Leary homers with one out to give Boston the lead, and later hits a 3-run HR in the 7th to break an 8–8 tie and send the Red Sox to the ALCS; both homers come after intentional walks to Nomar Garciaparra. |
1999 ALCS | Game 4, October 17 | Ricky Ledée, New York | Fenway Park | Rod Beck, Boston | 9th | 9–2 | 9–2, W | 3–1 NYY | Ledee hits a pinch-hit HR with one out to wrap up a 6-run inning and the victory. Ledee became the second rookie to hit a postseason grand slam. |
1999 NLCS | Game 5, October 17 | Robin Ventura, New York | Shea Stadium | Kevin McGlinchy, Atlanta | 15th | 4–3 | 4–3, W | 3–2 ATL | The Mets tie the score at 3–3 with a bases-loaded walk with one out, bringing up Ventura, who with 13 career grand slams is tied for the lead among active players with Harold Baines and Mark McGwire. He comes through with the first walk-off grand slam – and the first grand slam in extra innings – in postseason history, clearing the right-center field wall, but is officially credited with only a 1-run single after being mobbed by teammates upon passing first base. |
2003 NLCS | Game 4, October 11 | Aramis Ramírez, Chicago | Pro Player Stadium | Dontrelle Willis, Florida | 1st | 4–0 | 8–3, W | 3–1 CHC | After Willis walks the bases loaded with one out, Ramírez gets the Cubs off to an early lead by hitting a 2–2 pitch into the left field seats. This was the first time in Cubs history, that a player hit a grand slam in the postseason |
2004 ALDS | Game 3, October 8 | Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim | Fenway Park | Mike Timlin, Boston | 7th | 6–6 | 8–6, L | 3–0 BOS | Guerrero ties the score with a two-out HR to right on a 0–1 pitch, but the Red Sox score two in the 10th to advance to the ALCS. |
2004 ALCS | Game 7, October 20 | Johnny Damon, Boston | Yankee Stadium | Javier Vázquez, New York | 2nd | 6–0 | 10–3, W | 4–3 BOS | Damon homers to right on reliever Vázquez' first pitch with one out, staking Boston to an early lead; he homers again in the 4th for an 8–1 lead as the Red Sox complete their comeback after being down 3 games to 0. |
2005 NLDS | Game 1, October 4 | Reggie Sanders, St. Louis | Busch Stadium | Jake Peavy, San Diego | 5th | 8–0 | 8–5, W | 1–0 STL | With one out, Sanders homers on a 3–0 fastball from Peavy, who was unknowingly pitching with a fractured rib. |
2005 NLDS | Game 4, October 9 | Adam LaRoche, Atlanta | Minute Maid Park | Brandon Backe, Houston | 3rd | 4–0 | 7–6, L | 3–1 HOU | LaRoche, battling stomach flu, homers with two out, after two walks and a hit batter, to give the Braves an early lead, but the Astros tie the game 6–6 in the 9th and win in 18 innings to advance to the NLCS. |
2005 NLDS | Game 4, October 9 | Lance Berkman, Houston | Minute Maid Park | Kyle Farnsworth, Atlanta | 8th | 5–6 | 7–6, W | 3–1 HOU | With one out, Berkman hits an opposite-field homer to left on a 2–1 pitch to bring the Astros within a run; it is the first time that two grand slams are hit in the same postseason game. After tying the game in the 9th, the Astros win the series on Chris Burke's walk-off homer in the 18th, making it the second longest game in postseason history. |
2007 NLDS | Game 2, October 4 | Kaz Matsui, Colorado Rockies | Citizens Bank Park | Kyle Lohse, Philadelphia Phillies | 4th | 6–3 | 10–5, W | 2–0 COL | Matsui's slam gives the Rockies a 6–3 lead on the way to winning the game 10–5 and giving Colorado a 2–0 series lead. |
2007 ALCS | Game 6, October 20 | J. D. Drew, Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians | 1st | 4–0 | 12–2 W | 3–3 | Drew gave the Red Sox an early lead in the must-win game as the Red Sox tied the series. |
2008 NLDS | Game 1, October 1 | James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers | Wrigley Field | Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs | 5th | 4–2 | 7–2, W | 1–0 LAD | After Dempster walked the bases loaded, Loney hits it to center to give the Dodgers a 4–2 lead. |
2008 NLDS | Game 2, October 2 | Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park | CC Sabathia, Milwaukee Brewers | 2nd | 5–1 | 5–2, W | 2–0 PHI | Victorino's slam, the first in Phillies postseason history, broke a 1–1 tie after pitcher Brett Myers drew a two-out walk in a nine-pitch at-bat. |
2011 ALDS | Game 1, October 1 | Robinson Canó, New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Al Alburquerque, Detroit Tigers | 6th | 8–1 | 9–3, W | 1–0 NYY | Gardner singled, Jeter stole second, Granderson walked. After a pitching change, Robinson Canó hit a 375-foot blast to give the Yankees an 8–1 lead over the Tigers. Cano hit six RBIs this game, barely missing another homer in the previous inning. He tied the Yankees post-season single game record. This was the first home run hit off of Alburquerque this season. |
2011 NLDS | Game 3, October 4 | Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks | Chase Field | Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers | 5th | 7–1 | 8–1, W | 2–1 MIL | Back-to-back singles to Josh Collmenter and Willie Bloomquist. Two outs later, with first base open, Marcum intentionally walked Miguel Montero, who had two RBIs to that point in the game, to get to Goldschmidt. Marcum jumped ahead of Goldschmidt, 1–2, before leaving a fastball out over the plate. Goldschmidt drove the ball the opposite way and over the wall in right to give Arizona a 7–1 lead. Goldschmidt became the third rookie to hit a postseason grand slam. |
2011 NLDS | Game 4, October 5 | Ryan Roberts, Arizona Diamondbacks | Chase Field | Randy Wolf, Milwaukee Brewers | 1st | 4–1 | 10–6, W | 2–2 | Bloomquist singled out in centerfield. Aaron Hill fouled out to first base. Justin Upton walked, while Montero singled out in the right field. Goldschmidt, who hit a grand slam a day earlier, struck out looking. Wolf jumped behind of Roberts, 2–1, before leaving a 79 mph changeup out over the plate. Roberts drove the ball to opposite and over the wall in left to give Arizona a 4–1 lead. Moments later, Chris Young hit a home run out to centerfield. |
2011 ALCS | Game 2, October 10 | Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | Ryan Perry, Detroit Tigers | 11th | 7–3 | 7–3, W | 2–0 TEX | In the 11th, after Perry came in to replace Valverde, Michael Young singles on a sharp ground ball to left fielder Ryan Raburn. Adrián Beltré singles on a line drive to center fielder Austin Jackson. Michael Young to 2nd. Coaching visit to mound. Mike Napoli singles on a fly ball to center fielder Austin Jackson, loading the bases. Nelson Cruz hits a grand slam (3) to left field. Young, Beltre, and Napoli score on the home run. First official (see Grand Slam Single) walk-off grand slam in post season history. "[25] |
2012 NLDS | Game 5, October 11 | Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants | Great American Ball Park | Mat Latos, Cincinnati Reds | 5th | 6–0 | 6–4, W | 3–2 SF | After the Giants scored two runs in the inning, the bases were loaded for Posey. He hit a home run off the upper deck, giving the Giants a 6–0 lead they did not relinquish. The runs proved to be critical, as the Reds rallied to make the game close, but the Giants held on to win 6–4. The win completed the Giants' comeback from being down 2 games to 0 in the series, the first time that happened in NL Divisional play. The Giants won all three on the road, as the series became the second five-game series to not have a single win by a home team (after the 2010 ALDS between the Rangers and Rays). |
2013 ALCS | Game 2, October 13 | David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | Joaquín Benoit, Detroit Tigers | 8th | 5–5 | 6–5, W | 1–1 | With the Red Sox trailing 5–1 in the bottom of the eighth, David Ortiz came up with the bases loaded and two out. Ortiz lined Benoit's first pitch into the right field bullpen sending outfielder Torii Hunter flying over the wall, tying the game at 5. The Red Sox would go on to win the game 6–5 in the bottom of the ninth on a walk off single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. |
2013 ALCS | Game 6, October 19 | Shane Victorino, Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park | José Veras, Detroit Tigers | 7th | 5–2 | 5–2, W | 4–2 BOS | In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Tigers ahead 2–1 and Victorino down in the count 0–2 on well placed curve balls, he sent the third pitch (also a curve ball, but up in the zone) over the Green Monster. Victorino ended a 2 for 23 slump with this blast becoming only the second player ever, alongside Jim Thome, to have hit two post-season grand slams. |
2014 NLWCG | n/a October 1 | Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants | PNC Park | Edinson Vólquez, Pittsburgh Pirates | 4th | 4–0 | 8–0, W | n/a | After singles by Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence and a walk to Brandon Belt, Crawford unloaded the bases with a 362-foot grand slam to right field, opening the game's scoring. His grand slam was the first to be hit by a shortstop in postseason history. |
2016 NLCS | Game 1, October 15 | Miguel Montero, Chicago Cubs | Wrigley Field | Joe Blanton, Los Angeles Dodgers | 8th | 7–3 | 8–4, W | 1–0 CHC | After the Dodgers tied it in the top of the 8th inning, Montero's pinch hit grand slam into the right field bleachers broke the tie. |
2017 ALDS | Game 2, October 6 | Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians | Progressive Field | Chad Green, New York Yankees | 6th | 7–8 | 9–8, W | 2–0 CLE | With two outs in the 6th, Lonnie Chisenhall was grazed by a 2-strike pitch that appeared to have possibly struck the knob of his bat before landing in the catcher's mitt for an inning-ending foul-tip strikeout. The Yankees chose not to challenge the umpire's call that Chisenhall was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Lindor then blasted a towering fly ball high off the right field foul pole to cut the Yankees' 5-run lead down to 1. The Indians later finished their comeback with a walk-off single by Yan Gomes in the 13th inning. |
2017 NLDS | Game 4, October 11 | Michael A. Taylor, Washington Nationals | Wrigley Field | Wade Davis, Chicago Cubs | 8th | 5–0 | 5–0, W | 2–2 | After inheriting Daniel Murphy on first base from Jon Lester, Carl Edwards Jr. issued back-to-back 2-out walks to Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters to load the bases. Davis was then brought in to face Taylor with the hope of holding the Nationals' lead at 1–0. Taylor hit a 1–1 fastball from Davis into the chain link net at the top of the right center field wall to clear the bases and expand the lead to 5–0. |
2017 NLCS | Game 5, October 19 | Kiké Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers | Wrigley Field | Hector Rondon, Chicago Cubs | 3rd | 7–0 | 11–1, W | 4–1 LAD | Hernández's grand slam on a fly ball to right field was the second of his three home runs on the night, which made Hernández the 10th player ever to hit 3 homers in a postseason game. In this close-out game, Hernández drove in 7 runs to tie the Major League record for RBI in a postseason game and help send the Dodgers to the World Series for the first time since 1988. |
2018 NLDS | Game 3, October 7 | Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves | SunTrust Park | Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers | 2nd | 5–0 | 6–5, W | 2–1 LAD | After pitcher Sean Newcomb drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the Braves' first run of the series, breaking a string of 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, Acuña's towering fly ball into the left field bleachers off a 3-1 fastball at the top of the strike zone expanded the Braves' lead to 5-0. (Acuña almost walked in the at-bat after taking a 3-0 fastball that was called a strike despite sailing above the strike zone.) At 20 years and 293 days old, Acuña became the youngest player to hit a postseason grand slam in Major League history, surpassing Mickey Mantle (who was 21 years, 349 days old when he hit one in the 1953 World Series).[26] |
2018 ALCS | Game 3, October 16 | Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston Red Sox | Minute Maid Park | Roberto Osuna, Houston Astros | 8th | 8–2 | 8-2, W | 2-1 BOS | After consecutive batters Brock Holt and Mitch Moreland were hit by pitches to load the bases then drive in a run with two outs, JBJ launched a fly ball over the right field wall to clear the bases and break the game open. |
All-star game
| Year | Batter | Date and Site | Pitcher | Inning | Score after HR | Final score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Fred Lynn, AL (California) | July 6, Comiskey Park | Atlee Hammaker, NL (San Francisco) | 3rd | 9–1 | 13–3, W | In the 50th anniversary game, Lynn hits the first grand slam in All-Star history to right field on a 2–2 pitch with two out, capping a 7-run inning and virtually ensuring the AL's first victory since 1971 and second since 1962. Just before the pitch, NBC put on-screen a graphic indicating that there had never been a grand slam hit in All-Star history. |
Career grand slam leaders
 Alex Rodriguez currently holds the record for most career grand slams with 25. |  With 23 grand slams, Lou Gehrig held the all-time record until 2013.[27] |
| * Alex Rodriguez | 25 |
| * Lou Gehrig | 23 |
| * Manny Ramírez | 21 |
| * Eddie Murray | 19 |
| * Willie McCovey | 18 [1] |
| * Robin Ventura | 18 |
| * Carlos Lee | 17 |
| * Jimmie Foxx | 17 |
| * Ted Williams | 17 |
| * Hank Aaron | 16 |
| * Dave Kingman | 16 |
| * Babe Ruth | 16 |
| *Ryan Howard | 15 |
| * Ken Griffey, Jr. | 15 |
| * Richie Sexson | 15 |
| * Jason Giambi | 14 |
| * Gil Hodges | 14 |
| * Mark McGwire | 14 |
| * Mike Piazza | 14 |
1 – National League record
Single-season grand slam leaders
[citation needed]
Travis Hafner matched Mattingly's single-season record in 2006.
| * Don Mattingly | 6 | 1987 (a) |
| * Travis Hafner | 6 | 2006 (a) |
| * Ernie Banks | 5 | 1955 (n) |
| * Jim Gentile | 5 | 1961 (a) |
| * Jim Northrup | 5 | 1968 (a) |
| * Albert Pujols | 5 | 2009 (n) |
| * Richie Sexson | 5 | 2006 (a) |
| * Albert Belle | 4 | 1997 (a) |
| * Ray Boone | 4 | 1953 (a) |
| * Robinson Canó | 4 | 2011 (a) |
| * Vince DiMaggio | 4 | 1945 (n) |
| * Lou Gehrig | 4 | 1934 (a) |
| * Scooter Gennett | 4 | 2017 (n) |
| * Jason Giambi | 4 | 2000 (a) |
| * Sid Gordon | 4 | 1950 (n) |
| * Tommy Henrich | 4 | 1948 (a) |
| * Ralph Kiner | 4 | 1949 (n) |
| * Edgar Martínez | 4 | 2000 (a) |
| * Phil Nevin | 4 | 2001 (n) |
| * Mike Piazza | 4 | 1998 (n) |
| * Alexei Ramírez | 4 | 2008 (a) |
| * Al Rosen | 4 | 1951 (a) |
| * Babe Ruth | 4 | 1919 (a) |
| * Wildfire Schulte | 4 | 1911 (n) |
| * Rudy York | 4 | 1938 (a) |
a – American League
n – National League
See also
- Grand Slam Single
- List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders
References
- Ryczek, William J. (1992). Blackguards and Red Stockings; A History of Baseball's National Association 1871–1875. Wallingford, Connecticut: Colebrook Press. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
ISBN 0-9673718-0-5
- Orem, Preston D. (1961). Baseball (1845–1881) From the Newspaper Accounts. Altadena, California: Self-published.
Notes
^ The source for this frequently cited factoid is Madison McEntire's 2006 book, Big League Trivia; Facts, Figures, Oddities, and Coincidences from our National Pastime. (Indeed, as late as July 23 of that year, two days prior to the home run's 50th anniversary, an eyewitness account written by Pittsburgh-based sportswriter John Steigerwald stated merely that it "may have been done only once in the history of baseball."[16] [Emphasis added.]) However, the claim, as it appears on page 53, and has since been repeated extensively, in print and online (i.e. "Clemente is the only player to end a game with an inside-the-park grand slam."), is actually qualified (along with most of the book's items) by McEntire in the book's introduction. "Unless stated otherwise, I used the year 1900 – the beginning of the modern baseball era – as the starting point for the items in this book."[17]
Works cited
^ Charlton, James. "The Chronology – 1871". BaseballLibrary.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
^ "Grand Slam Records". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
^ "Ultimate Grand Slams". SI.com. 2002-05-18. Retrieved 2002-07-30.
^ "Grand Slam (baseball) | The ARMory Power Pitching Academy". armorypitching.com. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
^ Stone, Larry (June 24, 2008). "Notebook – Grand slam by Felix Hernandez is one for the books". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on September 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
^ "Hawks pound Shimizu, Marines". Retrieved 2007-04-02.
[dead link]
^ Caldwell, Dave (August 25, 2011). "On a Long and Wet Day, the Yankees Win in Grand Style". The New York Times. and Mouat, Mike (August 25, 2011). "Yankees slam Athletics in grand fashion". Reuters.
^ Slusser, Susan (August 25, 2011). "Yankees hit 3 grand slams to beat A's 22–9". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
^ Parker, Rob (August 25, 2011). "It was a grand ole day at the ballpark". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
^ Pavlovic, Alex. "Giants' battery of Bumgarner, Posey provide charge heading to All-Star break". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
^ Krabbenhoft, Herm. "Dramatic finishes: Ultimate grand slams have decided 19 major league games". The Schenectady Gazette. October 5, 1991. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ Amedio, Steve. "Krabbenhoft helps rewrite baseball records". The Schenectady Gazette. April 18, 2003. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ Chuck, Bill; Kaplan, Jim (2007). Walkoffs, Last Licks and Final Outs: Baseball's Grand (and Not-so-grand) Finales. Skokie, Illinois: ACTA Sports. p. 193.
ISBN 978-0-87946-342-7. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ "History of the Game; Doubleday to Present Day: Ultimate Grand Slams". MLB.com. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ Jackson, Frank. "Ultimate slam: game over". Hardball Times. September 11, 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2015. "No. 6: 09/11/1955, County Stadium. Hitter: Del Crandall. Pitcher: Herm Wehmeier. Braves 5, Phils 4. This was the first (of 15) ultimate slams with two outs, which would seem to make it a little more special than its predecessors."
^ Steigerwald, John. "This Was Clemente's Grandest Slam". The Indiana Gazette. July 23, 2006. Retrieved 4 September 2015. "On July 25, 1956, Roberto Clemente did something that may have been done only once in the history of baseball. And I was there to see it. "
^ McEntire, Madison. Big League Trivia; Facts, Figures, Oddities, and Coincidences from our National Pastime. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse. p. IX and 53.
ISBN 1-4259-1292-3. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
^ Hernon, Jack. "Clemente's Inside-Park Slam Nips Cubs, 9–8; Bucs Bounce Back After Losing Lead". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 26, 1956. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
^ "New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers Box Score, June 21, 1988". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
^ Chisholm, Gregor; Lee, Jane (July 27, 2017). "Pearce hits walk-off slam as Toronto sweeps A's". MLB.com. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
^ Matheson, Keegan; Guardado, Maria (July 30, 2017). "Deja Blue Jay: Pearce's historic slam". MLB.com. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
^ Harrison, Ian (July 30, 2017). "Pearce slams again, Jays score 7 in 9th, beat Angels 11–10". ledger-enquirer.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-31. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
^ "Audio: Relive Some Of Dave Niehaus' Best Calls". SBNation.com. 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
^ "Cubs vs. Indians – 11/01/16". MLB.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
^ Full Nelson: Cruz belts walk-off slam in 11th" by T.R. Sullivan, MLB.com. Accessed Oct 10, 2011.
^ Yomtov, Jesse (October 7, 2018). "Ronald Acuna becomes youngest player with postseason grand slam". USA Today. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
^ "Lou Gehrig Grand Slams". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
