Grand slam single
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In baseball, a grand slam single is a term used to describe a home run in which the player batting in the decisive run does not successfully round all the bases, either due to a base-running mistake or simply not rounding all of the bases due to lack of necessity.
The most recent cited grand slam single is the final play of Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. The game carried a 2-2 tie into the 15th inning, when Mets pitcher Octavio Dotel gave up a run on a Keith Lockhart triple, making the score 3-2 in favor of Atlanta. The Mets loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning against Braves reliever Kevin McGlinchy, and Todd Pratt drew a walk, tying the score at 3-3. Robin Ventura, the next batter, drilled a 1-1 pitch over the right center field wall for a grand slam, sending the Mets players and fans into a frenzy. Ventura was mobbed halfway between first and second base by his teammates. The official scorer awarded Ventura a single on the grand slam because he only touched first and second base, and once the winning run scored, he could be credited with only a single.
Other grand slam singles include:
- July 9, 1970: Dalton Jones of the Detroit Tigers loses a grand slam against the Boston Red Sox when he passes teammate Don Wert on the base paths. Jones pinch hits for Jim Price and belts a 2-2 pitch from Vincente Romo into the right field upper deck for a grand slam. However, he passes Wert between first and second and is called out, ending up with a 3-RBI single.
- July 4, 1976: Tim McCarver passes Garry Maddox on the way to second base for his grand slam single.
