History made here yesterday as O’s rap two Grad Slams in one inning – for second time.
Yesterday (September 11, 2015), in the eighth inning of a 14-8 win over Kansas City at Baltimore, the Orioles became the first team in MLB history to hit two grand slams in an inning twice. (Six other teams have accomplished the feat one time.) The long ball hitters were an unlikely pair – LF Nolan Reimond and C Steve Clevenger. It was the first-ever Grand Slam for each player. Reimond has shown some power in the past, with a seven-season stat line of .250-48-152 (.239-4-13 in 44 games in 2015) and a season high of 15 home runs in his 2009 rookie season. Clevenger is in his fifth MLB season (.227-3-39 in 136 total games.) The Grand Slam was his second home run in 2015 (18 games played). The Orioles scored ten times in the eighth on six hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and an error.
In this post, BBRT will take a look at some facts from the eight two Grand Slam innings – and provide a few details on the first seven double-GS innings.
- The Orioles are the only team to hit two Grand Slams in an inning twice – yesterday and on August 6, 1986.
- The Orioles are the only team to hit two Grand Slams in an inning – and still lose. (August 6, 1986 … a 13-11 loss to the Rangers.)
- The Cardinals’ Fernando Tatis is the only player to hit two Grand Slams in an inning. (August 23, 1999).
- The Mets and Cubs are the only teams to both hit two Grand Slams in an inning and give up two Grand Slams in an inning.
- Five of the eight Two-Grand Slam innings were achieved by the home team.
- Eleven is the most popular number of runs scored in a two-GS inning – four times (nine runs twice and 13 and ten once each).
- There has never been an extra inning with two Grand Slams.
- There has been one instance of two Grand Slams in an inning in every inning (one-through-nine) except the seventh.
Now some details.
August 16, 1890
The first team to have a two-Grand Slam inning was the 1890 Chicago Colts (Cubs), who accomplished feat while scoring 13 runs in the fifth inning of an 18-5 win over the Pirates at Chicago. The home runs were hit by rookie catcher Malachi Kittridge, who ended the season at .201-3-35; had a career stat line of .219-17-391 in 16 seasons; and never topped three home runs in a campaign. The other Grand Slam was hit by 3B Tom Burns, who had his best season (of 13 MLB campaigns) in 1890, going .277-5-86. His career line was .266-39-683.
July 18, 1962
It would take 72 seasons before a second team achieved a two-grand-slam inning. On July 18, 1962, the Minnesota Twins, playing Cleveland in Minnesota, got the game off to a running start with an 11-run first inning – featuring Grand Slams by two prominent sluggers: LF and future Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and RF Bob Allison. Killebrew was on his way to an AL-leading 48-home run, 126-RBI season; while Allison would finish the season with 29 long balls and 102 RBI. Final score: 14-3.
Killebrew’s career stat line (22 seasons) was .256-573-1,584 and he led the AL in home runs six times and RBI three times. Allison topped 20 home runs six times in 13 MLB seasons, with a high of 35 in 1963. His career stat line – .255-256-796.
July 30, 1969
On July 30, 1969, the Astros went into the top of the ninth (of the first game of a double header) leading the home town New York Mets by the narrow margin of 5-3 – three outs, seven hits, four walks, one passed ball, 11 runs and two Grand Slams later it was a rout (final 16-3). Astros’ SS Denis (yes, one “n”) Menke and CF Jimmy Wynn (known as the Toy Cannon) provided the power. Menke would finish the season .269-10-90 and would hit 101 homers in 13 MLB seasons. Wynn would go .269-33-87 for the season. Over 15 MLB campaigns, the 5’ 10’, 160-pound outfielder would hit 291 home runs (20 or more eight times) and steal 225 bases. Overall, it was a bad day for the Mets, who also dropped the second game – by an 11-5 score.
April 12, 1980
The Brewers jumped all over the Red Sox 18-1 in Milwaukee on August 12, 1980 – thanks in good part to a nine-run, two-Grand Slam bottom of the second. The dingers came off the bats of the Brewers’ corner infielders – 1B Cecil Cooper and 3B Don Money. It was the first homer of the young season for Cooper the second for Money. Cooper would go on to hit .352 in 1980, swatting 25 homers and leading the AL with 122 RBI. His career stat line (17 seasons) would be .298-241-1,125. Money ended 1980 at .256-17-46 in just 86 games – and would hit 176 round trippers in 16 MLB seasons.
August 6, 1986
In August of 1986, The Baltimore Orioles actually managed to hit two Grand Slams in one inning – in a losing cause. Trailing the Rangers 6-0 going into the bottom fourth, the Orioles treated their home fans to a nine-run, two-Grand Slam inning. They had plenty of help from the Rangers. The inning went like this: walk; walk; walk; Grand Slam; single; walk; fly ball out; fly ball out; walk; error; Grand Slam; ground out. Despite the big inning, the Orioles lost the game 13-11, as the Rangers plated five runs in the second, one in the third, six in the eighth and one in the ninth. Notably, the Orioles got their 11 runs on just seven hits.
The fourth inning Grand Slams were delivered by DH Jim Dwyer and LF Larry Sheets. Dwyer finished the season with a .244 average, eight home runs and 31 RBI in 94 games (and hit 77 home runs in 18 MLB seasons). Sheets wrapped up 1986 with a .272 average, 18 home runs and 60 RBI (112 games) and then hit a career-high 31 long balls the following season. He had a total of 94 home runs in eight MLB seasons.
April 23, 1999
Fernando Tatis – only player with two Grand Slams in one inning.
The Cardinals’ 12-5 victory over the Dodgers (in LA) on April 23, 1999, was truly historic. In that game’s 11-run top of the third, not only did the Cardinals hit two Grand slams, Cardinals’ 3B Fernando Tatis became the first (still only) player to hit two Grand Slams in one inning – both off LA starter Chan Ho Park. They were Tatis’ fifth and sixth homers in the Cardinals’ first 15 games of the season – and gave him 19 RBI. 1999 was Tatis’ best MLB season (of 11) ever, He reached ultimate career highs in hits (160), average (.298), doubles (31), home runs (34), RBI (107), runs scored (104) and SB (21). Tatis’ career line was .265-113-448.
July 16, 2006
The Mets topped the Cubs in Chicago on July 16, 2006, by a 13-7 score. Trailing 5-2 going into the top of the sixth, the Mets rallied to score 11 times – including eight runs on Grand Slams by CF Carlos Beltran and LF Cliff Floyd. The inning featured eight hits (three HRs), three walks and an error.
The sixth inning Grand slam was Floyd’s ninth home run of the season and second of the game (he hit a solo shot the previous inning), while Beltran’s round tripper was his 26th of the year. Beltran finished 2006 at .275, with career highs in home runs (41) and RBI (116). Going into the 2015 season (still active), Beltran had topped 20 home runs in 12 seasons and exceeded 100 RBI eight times. As of this September 12, his 2015 stat line was .278-15-53. Floyd hit .244, with 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 2006 and .278-233-865 in 17 MLB seasons.
