Sports

Fun facts, video and more about Jaime Garcia’s historic home run

Braves right-handed pitcher Tony Cloninger hit two grand slams and got the win  in a 17-3 victory over the Giants on July 3, 1966. (AP photo)
Braves right-handed pitcher Tony Cloninger hit two grand slams and got the win  in a 17-3 victory over the Giants on July 3, 1966. (AP photo)
By Mike Luck
July 22, 2017

Braves pitcher Jaime Garcia hit a grand slam in a 12-3 win over the Dodgers Friday night in Los Angeles.

Garcia’s blast made history. Here’s some fun facts about his feat:

-- Garcia became just the second Atlanta Braves pitcher to hit a grand slam in franchise history. Tony Cloninger hit two, yes two, in one game on July 3, 1966 at San Francisco.

--García is just the fifth Braves pitcher to hit a grand slam since 1900, joining Cloninger, Lew Burdette (1958), George Ferguson (1910) and Patsy Flaherty (1907).

--Prior to García, the last Braves pitcher to hit a home run was Mike Minor on July 12, 2014 in a game against the Cubs in Chicago.

-- García is just the fourth Atlanta pitcher to drive in at least four runs in a game and the first to do it since Phil Niekro on September 26, 1979. Niekro also did it in 1976, Ron Reed had four RBIs in a game in 1973 and Cloninger accomplished it twice in 1966).

Braves' Jaime Garcia looks up after hitting a grand slam off a pitch by Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood on Friday. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Braves' Jaime Garcia looks up after hitting a grand slam off a pitch by Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood on Friday. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Pitcher Phil Niekro hit seven home runs in his Braves career. (AJC file photo)
Pitcher Phil Niekro hit seven home runs in his Braves career. (AJC file photo)
Mike Minor was the last Braves pitcher to hit a home run. It came in 2014. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Mike Minor was the last Braves pitcher to hit a home run. It came in 2014. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

About the Author

Mike Luck is an Audience Specialist on the sports team at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has worked at the AJC since 1980.

More Stories