Twins’ Kody Clemens Joins HOF Babe Ruth in Exclusive Club Following Ultimate Grand Slam

Kody Clemens hit the 34th ultimate grand slam as the Minnesota Twins pulled off an improbable 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Twins’ Kody Clemens Joins HOF Babe Ruth in Exclusive Club Following Ultimate Grand Slam

Kody Clemens and Babe Ruth (Image via MLB)

On Thursday, Minnesota Twins star Kody Clemens etched his name in MLB history. The first baseman joined the legendary Babe Ruth in an exclusive club following his ultimate grand slam against the Kansas City Royals.

The Twins fell 1 game below .500 following their 4-0 loss against the Royals on Wednesday. It seemed they would be on the losing end once again as the Royals had managed to restrict them to just 1 hit through 8.2 innings.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Royals manager Matt Quatraro replaced starter Noah Cameron and brought in Lucas Erceg. Cameron had given up just 1 hit and 2 walks, and it seemed like he would try to go for a complete-game shutout.

When Erceg entered the game, the Royals were leading 3-0. He quickly struck out Trevor Larnach before Victor Cartini lined out in the infield. At that moment, the momentum was completely on the side of the visitors.

Ryan Jeffers, the only one who had managed a hit, then came up to bat. He got hit by the pitch and proceeded to first base. Royce Lewis then hit a single on a 2-2 count. Erceg ended up giving a walk to Josh Bell after 6 pitchers and loaded the bases.

Quataro decided to change things and brought in Matt Strahm against Kody Clemens. The 30-year-old hitter quickly fell behind 0-2. With the team down to their final strike, he slugged a walk-off grand slam to win the game 4-3 and complete an epic comeback.

This was not an ordinary walk-off grand slam. This was the ultimate grand slam. For the unversed, the ultimate grand slam is a home run hit when a team is 3-0 down in the 9th inning with bases loaded. This home run helps them beat the opposition 4-3.

Clemens’ hit was the 34th ultimate grand slam in MLB. Out of the 15 ultimate grand slams from 2000, this was the first to occur on an 0-2 count.

While his name will be in history books when it comes to ultimate grand slams, he joined Babe Ruth in an exclusive club. As per OptaSTATS, he became just the 2nd player to hit an ultimate grand slam, have a 3-home-run game, and have a strikeout. Clemens famously struck out Shohei Ohtani in 2022 while pitching in a game as a position player.

With his 19th home run of the season, the Twins got back to .500 with a 55-55 record. They will face the Royals once again next week after a road trip against the Seattle Mariners.

RELATED
‘Frustrated’ Aaron Boone Blames Yankees’ Offense Following Brutal Loss Against White Sox

Kody Clemens’ father had a 2-word reaction following his epic home run

Kody Clemens stole the show on Thursday with an ultimate grand slam against the Kansas City Royals. His father later shared a 2-word reaction as he scripted his name in history books.

Ryan Kreidler, Kody Clemens and Royce Lewis
Ryan Kreidler, Kody Clemens and Royce Lewis celebrating the Twins win (Image via MLB)

The 30-year-old is the youngest son of 11-time All-Star Roger Clemens. While the “Rocket” was a fierce pitcher back in his day, his son has been a utility man and played in several positions.

The 7-time Cy Young Award winner is also highly active on social media. Following his son’s iconic hit on Thursday, he took to his X account and shared a 2-word reaction while celebrating his historic moment.

Game over!

Roger Clemens on X

The 2026 season has been a breakout year for the younger Clemens. His strike on Thursday matched his career high in home runs, which he set last year.

In 95 games, he has 53 RBIs while batting with a .244 average. His home run tally is only bettered by Byron Buxton (25), who is currently injured. So if the Twins were to make a playoff push this year, Clemens will have a huge role to play in it.

Also Read: