Grand Slam Single

Grand Slam Single is a term used to describe the ending of Game 5 of the 1999 National League Championship Series between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

The game carried a 2-2 tie into the 15th inning, where Mets pitcher Octavio Dotel gave up a run on a Keith Lockhart triple, making the score 3-2 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 three.

Robin Ventura, the next batter, drilled a 1-1 pitch over the right-centerfield wall for an apparent 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 base.

Other instances of a "Grand Slam Single":

• 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 basepath. Jones pinch hits for Jim Price and belts a 2-2 pitch from Vicente Romo into the RF upper deck for an apparent grand slam. However, he passes Wert between first and second base and is called out, ending up with a three-RBI single.
• July 4, 1976: Tim McCarver of the Philadelphia Phillies passed Garry Maddox on the way to second base for his grand slam single.

Further Reading

• Bill Ladson: "Ventura revisits iconic walk-off 'Grand Slam Single' 25 years later", mlb.com, October 15, 2024. [1]