ROBINSON CANO’S GRAND slam gave the New York Yankees a chance. Russell Martin’s slam gave them the lead. Curtis Granderson’s slam gave them the record.
The Yankees became the first team in major league history to hit three slams in a game, rallying from an early six-run deficit to mash the Oakland Athletics 22-9 on a wet, wild Thursday.
“You’re not going to see it again, probably,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “You can’t explain it.”
Funny thing: The Yankees could’ve hit even more grand slams, given all the chances the A’s presented them. Helped by 13 walks, New York batters went to the plate a whopping 16 times with the bases loaded.
“I’m surprised it hadn’t been done before with all the great teams and great individual hitters that have come throughout the course of the game,” Granderson said.
With MLB in its 136th year and approaching its 200,000th regular-season game next month, the Yankees knew it was a slammin’ day. Not until they saw a note posted on the video board about the three slams, however, did they realize exactly what they’d achieved.
“Definitely cool. It was fun to be part of it,” Martin said. “When there’s nowhere to put them, they have to throw strikes.”
Martin homered twice and doubled, setting career highs with five hits and six RBIs. Cano and Granderson each drove in five runs as the Yankees pulled off their biggest comeback win since 2006 and avoided a three-game sweep.
On a dreary afternoon, some fans headed home with the Yankees trailing 7-1 after three innings and rain still falling in a game that began after an 89-minute delay.
Turns out they missed the Yankees coming home — over and over and over.
The 22 runs marked the most allowed by the Athletics since 1955, when they were based in Kansas City and lost 29-6 to the Chicago White Sox.
“It only counts as one, but it was definitely embarrassing,” Oakland interim manager Bob Melvin said.
– AP
