Kody Clemens' Ultimate Grand Slam: Three Pitches That Made History

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

For more than two hours Thursday afternoon, Target Field felt lifeless. Kansas City starter Noah Cameron carved through the Twins lineup with precision, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Minnesota's offense had no answers, and by the time the ninth inning arrived, the Royals held a 3-0 lead with the Twins staring at another frustrating loss.

Then baseball reminded everyone why no lead is ever truly safe. What followed was one of the wildest finishes the sport has ever produced.

After Cameron exited following eight dominant innings and 97 pitches, Kansas City handed the ball to Lucas Erceg to finish the job. Trevor Larnach struck out and Victor Caratini lined out, leaving the Twins with two outs and nobody on base. The comeback appeared finished before it ever started. Instead, the inning unraveled almost immediately.

Erceg hit Ryan Jeffers with a sinker, Royce Lewis followed with a single, and Josh Bell worked a walk to suddenly load the bases. Both Lewis and Bell fell behind 0-2, meaning the Twins were down to their last strike multiple times. Royals manager Matt Quatraro made another move, calling on left-hander Matt Strahm to face the left-handed hitting Kody Clemens.

On paper, the matchup favored Kansas City. Although Strahm has struggled overall this season, he had limited left-handed hitters to a .235 batting average and .617 OPS entering the game. He immediately got ahead, freezing Clemens with a sinker before another fastball produced an 0-2 count.

One strike separated the Royals from victory. One swing changed everything.

Clemens turned on Strahm's next pitch and launched it deep into the right-field seats, sending Target Field into complete chaos. The walk-off grand slam erased a three-run deficit in an instant, transforming what looked destined to become a forgettable afternoon into the Twins' most memorable victory of the season.

Historical Context

The celebration was every bit as dramatic as the swing itself. Clemens was mobbed at home plate while thousands of fans struggled to process what they had just witnessed. It wasn't simply a walk-off grand slam. It was an ultimate grand slam, a walk-off grand slam that overcomes a three-run deficit, and those almost never happen.

Clemens became just the 34th player in Major League history to hit one, and the first in Twins franchise history. Even more remarkably, Minnesota became the first team ever to be no-hit through six innings, break up the no-hit bid in the seventh inning or later, and still win the game with a walk-off grand slam.

The home run also joined some incredibly exclusive company. It was only the 15th ultimate grand slam with two outs, making it rarer than a perfect game. Of every walk-off grand slam that erased a three-run deficit since pitch counts began being tracked in 1988, Clemens is the first to do it on an 0-2 pitch while down to his team's final strike.

Clemens became only the second player in MLB history to have a career that includes a strikeout on the mound, a three-homer game at the plate, and hit an ultimate grand slam. The other player is Babe Ruth. 

The blast was also the first walk-off grand slam with the Twins trailing by three runs in franchise history and only the third in MLB history by a team that entered the inning down three with two outs and nobody on base. Clemens also became the first player since David Bote in 2018 to hit a walk-off grand slam while his club was down three runs and down to its final strike.

As if the day needed another layer of trivia, the Twins also became just the second team in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam on their manager's birthday. As Clemens said after the game, that's a moment you dream about as a little kid. 

Some wins count the same in the standings. Others become part of franchise lore.

Thursday's comeback was the latter. Fans at Target Field witnessed a finish they'll be talking about for years, a game that looked hopeless until it suddenly became unforgettable. For a franchise with plenty of memorable moments, Clemens' ultimate grand slam instantly earned its place among the greatest ever seen in Minneapolis.

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What will you remember about yesterday’s historic home run? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[Saxophone Joe]

I was at work and watched the game on replay last night. All I knew about the game was a "King Kody" text from my brother. I figured that meant we won but needless to say, by the ninth, it was difficult to imagine a Twins W. I did the math in my head in the ninth and then realized, holy sh*t, is my man Kody (should've been an All-Star!) about to do the thing?!

 

 

 

[shimrod]

Another Minneapolis Miracle

[DocBauer]

.244/ .300/ .493/ .793 quad slash line which includes 20 DBLs 5 Trips and 19 HR. He's also 7-2 in SB attempts for good measure. Yeah, I'd sure like to see a better OB%, but Clemens has really become a key component to this team both offensively and defensively with solid play at multiple positions. 

Classic story of a late bloomer? Right team at the right time? It sure seems that way.

I found sharing a special footnote in history with only Babe Ruth especially interesting. 

But this game, this day, this finish was absolutely NUTS! Almost no hit, nobody on base with 2 outs, an 0-2 count with the bases suddenly full, a win that took the team back to .500 again, on the manager's birthday for goodness sake, and a walk off grand slam?? 

Hollywood would reject that script. Such is the magic of baseball. This will be something Clemens will be able to reflect on, savor, and share for the rest of his life.

[Fatbat]

Nothing like listening to the game at work while an 18 yo coworker babbles incoherently all day…. Leading to a distraction….. and you miss the moment 😑😑😑😑😑

Got home and watched it over and over with a cold one and the mut. The mut did not interrupt. 🐶 

[JBK]

Every kid's dream while playing wiffle ball in the backyard

[olerud]

It was truly a miserable listless game. Until 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth. That's why baseball is an amazing game! There's always a decent chance of seeing something you've never seen before. 

[Fatbat]

5 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

.244/ .300/ .493/ .793 quad slash line which includes 20 DBLs 5 Trips and 19 HR. He's also 7-2 in SB attempts for good measure. Yeah, I'd sure like to see a better OB%, but Clemens has really become a key component to this team both offensively and defensively with solid play at multiple positions. 

Classic story of a late bloomer? Right team at the right time? It sure seems that way.

I found sharing a special footnote in history with only Babe Ruth especially interesting. 

But this game, this day, this finish was absolutely NUTS! Almost no hit, nobody on base with 2 outs, an 0-2 count with the bases suddenly full, a win that took the team back to .500 again, on the manager's birthday for goodness sake, and a walk off grand slam?? 

Hollywood would reject that script. Such is the magic of baseball. This will be something Clemens will be able to reflect on, savor, and share for the rest of his life.

1 AB 1.000/1.000/1.000 2.000?  Is that right? Small sample size….

[Cody Christie]

10 minutes ago, shimrod said:

Another Minneapolis Miracle

Love this.

[Church of Kreidler]

Being able to say we have a guy who did something only Babe Ruth has done? Not bad for our team of Scrappers! This team may not have a lot of wins, but boy do they have a lot of heart!

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Saxophone Joe said:

I was at work and watched the game on replay last night. All I knew about the game was a "King Kody" text from my brother. I figured that meant we won but needless to say, by the ninth, it was difficult to imagine a Twins W. I did the math in my head in the ninth and then realized, holy sh*t, is my man Kody (should've been an All-Star!) about to do the thing?!

 

 

 

It's like when someone recommends a movie, refuses to give spoilers, except to say that the ending is good - which it itself some sort of spoiler but something has to be said.

[bjorks]

41 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

.244/ .300/ .493/ .793 quad slash line which includes 20 DBLs 5 Trips and 19 HR. He's also 7-2 in SB attempts for good measure. Yeah, I'd sure like to see a better OB%, but Clemens has really become a key component to this team both offensively and defensively with solid play at multiple positions. 

Classic story of a late bloomer? Right team at the right time? It sure seems that way.

I found sharing a special footnote in history with only Babe Ruth especially interesting. 

But this game, this day, this finish was absolutely NUTS! Almost no hit, nobody on base with 2 outs, an 0-2 count with the bases suddenly full, a win that took the team back to .500 again, on the manager's birthday for goodness sake, and a walk off grand slam?? 

Hollywood would reject that script. Such is the magic of baseball. This will be something Clemens will be able to reflect on, savor, and share for the rest of his life.

I think it might have been on MLBTV, but I heard an interview where they asked him why he thought he was a late bloomer and he said (I'm paraphrasing) "I'm think I'm the same player I've always been, but finally getting an opportunity and consistent at bats." 

What I thought was spot on (can't remember if Clemens said it or the interviewer) it doesn't matter if you're from humble beginnings or the son of a HoF'er, baseball doesn't care. KC seems to be a pretty humble person and I can't imagine living as the son of any professional athlete let alone Rocket and everything in his "checkered" career. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I was so glad to share these amazing moments with my fellow Twins fans via tv. I can only imagine what it must have been like to actually be at the ballpark when this 9th inning happened. Amazing. Simply amazing.

[Coach]

I got home late from coaching and was looking forward to the Twins game, especially since it was a day game and I could fast forward the commercials.  After logging into MLBTV, where I saved "hide the spoilers" clicked, I wasn't thinking and logged onto Twins Daily, and son of a gun, the ending was spoiled.  But it worked out great, I could not have sat through the first eight innings without upsetting my wife, dogs, and cats.  Thankfully, I just watched the last inning. And what an inning.  Unbelievable!  Someone on the Twins team needs to come up with a T-shirt with Grinders as the theme.

[Saxophone Joe]

15 minutes ago, Coach said:

 I could not have sat through the first eight innings without upsetting my wife, dogs, and cats. 

haha they were brutal, offense especially. And have we got confirmation that Caglianone's homer landed yet? 

Great to see the bullpen do its job once again, though, kept us within an ultimate grand slam (never heard that term before yesterday). 

[alexlegge]

Kody was interviewed on MLB Network shortly before yesterday's game. Mark De Rosa asked him what he had for breakfast to help him go deep in the game.

"Chocolate-chip pancakes," replied Kody. 

All three of the hosts responded by confidently asserting that he would go deep in the game. De Rosa said it was the second-best answer he'd ever heard - topped only by Jett Bandy's breakfast of 'coffee and a cigarette.'

[Coach]

“Put me in Coach” (song Centerfield) A late bloomer (Clemens), is just a quality baseball player, that never had enough opportunity to blossom. Getting playing time is so important.  Examples: Clemens, Castro, Punto, Tovar, Hocking, Newman, Astudillo, Dozier, Castillo (Luis) etc.

[Coach]

To Church of Kreidler, sorry, I didn't list Ryan. 🤪

[Sjoski]

My favorite article on TD this year....xxxx.... favorite article ever.

[Church of Kreidler]

7 minutes ago, Coach said:

To Church of Kreidler, sorry, I didn't list Ryan. 🤪

There will be an inquisition for people like you soon!

[Coach]

10 minutes ago, Church of Kreidler said:

There will be an inquisition for people like you soon!

Slap on the cuffs and lead me to the gallows, guilty as charged1

[jimbo92107]

4 hours ago, Coach said:

“Put me in Coach” (song Centerfield) A late bloomer (Clemens), is just a quality baseball player, that never had enough opportunity to blossom. Getting playing time is so important.  Examples: Clemens, Castro, Punto, Tovar, Hocking, Newman, Astudillo, Dozier, Castillo (Luis) etc.

Exactly. Good list of late bloomers. Clemens looks like the next in a memorable line. You want "chemistry?" Yah, a Grand Salami with two outs in the 9th will suffice. 

Kody Clemons was not blessed with a 100 mph arm like his daddy, but he's got something that runs in the family - total dedication to excellence. Over several years, this guy has gradually forged himself into a top-flight baseball player. There is a classic, by-the-book look to every part of his game. Sweet swing, on-balance running, mental alertness. He has reached a level where you just don't expect to see him make a poor baseball decision. That was a thing about Mauer, Pucket, Hrbek, Hunter, and other great ones. Clemons looks like he has that in him. Took a while to get there. He's there.