TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger made history in Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night by hitting the first pinch-hit grand slam ever in a World Series game.
Batting for Davis Schneider against left-hander Anthony Banda, Barger crushed a 2-1 slider 413 feet to right-center field. This was his third home run of the playoffs.
Barger’s grand slam marked the first postseason grand slam in Blue Jays history and was a key moment in a dominant nine-run, six-hit inning that gave Toronto an impressive 11-2 lead over the defending World Series champions.
Later in the inning, Alejandro Kirk added to the Blue Jays’ lead with a two-run homer. The nine runs scored by Toronto in this frame represent the third-highest run total in a single inning in World Series history. The Oakland Athletics hold the record with 10 runs scored in the seventh inning of Game 4 in 1929, a mark matched by the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of Game 6 against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968.
This game also marks Toronto’s return to the World Series for the first time since they won back-to-back titles, the last coming in 1993.
During the regular season, Barger hit 21 home runs, marking his second year in the major leagues.
