Players with 2 grand slams in a match

Hitting two home runs in one game isn’t particularly rare, but two grand slams in the same game? As Robin Ventura put it after hitting a couple of home runs for the White Sox on September 4, 1995, “… it’s kind of a crazy thing.”

Ventura is one of 13 players in LA / LN history who have served two grand slams in a match. Here’s a look at the full list, starting with the most recent.

Josh Willingham, Nationals
July 27, 2009, at Milwaukee (fifth and sixth inning)
Nearly six years after what was then the last game of two grand slams, Willingham did it in straight innings against the Brewers at Milwaukee, dropping it against starter Jeff Suppan in the fifth and reliever Mark DiFelice in the sixth. It was a celebrated day in the solid but quiet career of Willingham, who never made the All-Star Game but hit 195 home runs and posted a 121 OPS + for five teams in 11 seasons.

Bill Mueller, Red Sox
July 29, 2003, in Texas (seventh and eighth inning)
A year before helping the Red Sox break the Curse of the Bambino, Mueller had the best year of his career for Boston, winning the batting title with a .326 average and hitting a career high with 19 home runs. He hit three of them on July 29 against the Rangers in Arlington, when he became the first player to grand slam from both sides of the plate in a game.

Nomar Garciaparra, Red Sox
May 10, 1999, vs. SEA (1st and 8th inning)
After winning the LA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and finishing second in the LA MVP voting the following year, Garciaparra had another season in 1999, winning the batting title with a .357 average and adding 27 home runs and an OPS of 1,022. The shortstop hit 10 home runs in May, including two grand slams and two two-run home runs against the Mariners on May 10 against the Mariners at Fenway Park.

Fernando Tatis, Cardinals
April 23, 1999, in LA (both in the third inning)
Two grands slams in one inning and against the same pitcher. The Dominican starred in a historic episode at Dodger Stadium this April night in 1999, taking it out twice from starter Chan Ho Park with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning. No one has ever done it again and we probably won’t see anything like that again.

Chris Hoiles, Orioles
August 14, 1998, at CLE (third and eighth inning)
Injuries impacted Hoiles’ career too much, but between 1992 and 1998, only Mike Piazza homered among receivers, hitting 139 in that span. Hoiles made history in his final season, becoming the first catcher and ninth player to that point with two grand slams in the same game.

Robin Ventura, White Sox
September 4, 1995, in TEX (fourth and fifth inning)
It had been a little over a quarter of a century since Ventura’s last two-homer full house meeting in 1995. The third baseman finished his career with 18 grand slams, tied with Willie McCovey for fifth in NFL history. LA / LN and a figure that represents more than 6% of his 249 career home runs.

Frank Robinson, Orioles
June 26, 1970, in Washington (fifth and sixth inning)
A Triple Crown winner and the first player to win MVP in the LA and NL, Robinson was no stranger to historical feats. He landed another in 1970, serving a pair of grand slams during a 12-2 win over the Senators in Washington.

Jim Northrup, Tigers
June 24, 1968, at CLE (fifth and sixth inning)
1968 might have been the Year of the Pitcher, but it was also the season in which Northrup became the sixth player to hit two full sacks at the same game. The Tigers outfielder hit one in the fifth and another in the sixth during Detroit’s 14-3 blowout at Cleveland.

Tony Cloninger, Braves
July 3, 1996, at SF (1st and 4th inning)
Cloninger starred in a legendary day against the Giants at Candlestick Park, pulling a complete game from the mound and helping his own cause with two grands slams in Atlanta’s 17-3 win. Cloninger became the first pitcher and first player on the Old Circuit with two homers to a full house in the same game.

Jim Gentile, Orioles
May 9, 1961, in MIN (first and second inning)
First baseman hit 46 home runs, a career high, and led the LA with 141 RBIs, nine of which came with his two grand slams on May 9 against the Twins at the Estadio Metropolitano. Batting fourth, Gentile homered in the first two innings and then added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Rudy York, Red Sox
July 27, 1946, at St. Louis (second and fifth inning)
The St. Louis Carmelites walked Ted Williams four – two intentional – with York forewarned at bat, and he took the lead with a 10-RBI day that included two grand slams and a two-dash double. Thus, York established a record of more RBIs in play for the Patirrojos that has since been equaled by Norm Zauchin, Fred Lynn and Garciaparra.

Jim Tabor, Red Sox
July 4, 1939, in Philadelphia (third and sixth inning)
Three seasons after hosting the first game of two grand slams in LA / LN history, Philadelphia’s Shibe Park was the site of the second of those engagements, with Tabor hitting two homers home packed in the second game. from a doubleheader on July 4 against the Philadelphia Athletics. Tabor, who had also thrown her in Game 1, hit another solo in the eighth of the second game, ending the day with four homers and 11 RBIs.

Tony Lazzeri, Yankees
May 24, 1936, at FIL (second and fifth inning)
Lazzeri’s epic performance in 1936 was historic from several angles. After becoming the first player in LA / LN history to hit two grand slams in the same game with spades in the second and fifth, the Yankees second baseman homered again in the seventh and added a 3-pointer for two streaks in the eighth, setting an LA record with 11 charters in New York’s 25-2 rout of the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park.