On May 9, 1961, Baltimore first baseman Jim Gentile did something so improbable that no one had ever done it before; he hit grand slams in back-to-back innings. First inning at Minnesota: Gentile launched one off Twins starter Pedro Ramos with the bases loaded. Four runs in. Second inning: bases loaded again. Gentile launched another one off reliever Paul Giel. Four more runs in. By the second pitch of the second inning, he had 8 RBIs. By game's end, 9. The Orioles won 13-5. Gentile was the first player ever to hit grand slams in consecutive innings. Only six others have matched him since. He'd finish 1961 with 46 home runs and 141 RBIs... and still finish behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the MVP race because the M&M Boys were busy chasing Babe Ruth's home run record that summer. One of the great forgotten seasons in baseball history, kicked off by one of the great forgotten innings.
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