Houston’s designated hitter Yordan Alvarez had an extraordinary Friday evening in Kansas City, accomplishing something remarkable before most fans had settled into their seats.
In an explosive first inning against the Royals, Alvarez launched a two-run blast just two batters into the contest, then followed up with a grand slam that capped off Houston’s incredible nine-run opening frame.
This performance made Alvarez the first major leaguer to connect for two home runs in a single inning since Detroit’s Riley Greene achieved the same milestone on May 2, 2025, in a matchup with the Los Angeles Angels.
Within Houston’s franchise history, only two other players have managed multiple home runs in one inning: Lee May, who did it April 29, 1974, facing the Chicago Cubs, and Jeff Bagwell, who accomplished the feat June 24, 1994, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The most recent player to blast two home runs specifically in a game’s first inning was Boston’s David Ortiz, who managed the feat against Texas on Aug. 12, 2008.
These two long balls brought Alvarez’s season total to 24 home runs, creating a tie with Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the major league lead.
