Boston's surprise postseason run continued in historic fashion on Saturday. The 9-5 victory in Game 2 to tie the series against Houston at one game apiece was fueled by grand slams in both the first and second innings. It was the first time in postseason history that a team had hit two grand slams in a single game, let alone doing so before six outs were recorded.
From an organizational standpoint the big flies from J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers were the seventh and eighth grand slams in Red Sox postseason history, joining this list of blasts, all of which have come since 1999. And as a potential good omen for Boston, all but one came in years when the Red Sox would go on to win the World Series.
2018 ALCS Game 3 - Jackie Bradley, Jr.: Considering it's the third time in Boston's last four postseason appearances they're playing Houston, it's no huge surprise that the Sox most recent postseason grand slam also came against the Astros. After hitting a three-run double in Game 2, Jackie Bradley, Jr. one-upped himself in Game 3, hitting an eighth inning grand slam off Roberto Osuna to turn a 4-2 lead into an 8-2 lead for the Sox. After hitting another go-ahead two-run shot in Game 4, Bradley would go on to win ALCS MVP honors.
2013 ALCS Game 6 - Shane Victorino: In Boston's ALCS-clincher against Detroit, the party really started after Victorino hit a grand slam into the Monster seats in the seventh inning, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead the Sox wouldn't relinquish. It was Victorino's second career postseason grand slam -- a feat only Jim Thome has replicated. He nearly hit a third in the clinching game of the 2013 World Series, instead settling for a bases-clearing double (don't worry, every little thing would in fact be alright).
2013 ALCS Game 2 - David Ortiz: Of course, Victorino's heroics might not happen in 2013 without Papi's blast in Game 2. You've undoubtedly seen the photo of Torii Hunter flipped over into the bullpen, legs in the air, with the Boston cop's arms raised in the background... but do you remember the circumstance? After getting shutout in Game 1, Boston had one hit entering the eighth inning, trailing 5-1. They finally loaded the bases, with Ortiz facing an incoming Joaquin Benoit. He took the first pitch into the bullpen in right to tie the game, and Boston evened up the series on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's ninth inning walk-off.
2007 ALCS Game 6 - J.D. Drew: The $75 million grand slam. Drew's time in Boston wasn't nearly as bad as some made it out to be, but his first regular season in 2007 after signing a big contract was a relative disappointment. All that was thrown out the window in the ALCS, when Drew opened up a must-win Game 6 with a first inning grand slam to the camera well in centerfield. The Sox cruised to a 12-2 win and would cap another ALCS comeback (down three games to one) with a Game 7 victory.
2004 ALCS Game 7 - Johnny Damon: With the Red Sox there was no telling what sort of misery could happen at the hands of the Yankees. But having comeback from a 3-0 series deficit to force a decisive Game 7 in the Bronx, the leader of the Idiots made sure it was as much of a party as possible early on. Already up 2-0 in the second inning, Boston loaded the bases, forcing Joe Torre to bring in Javier Vazquez out of the bullpen to face Damon, who took his first pitch over the short porch in right. It was 6-0 Boston, and from that point on it was essentially a seven-and-a-half-inning party as the greatest comeback in baseball history was complete.
1999 ALDS Game 5 - Troy O'Leary: Unusually enough, every Red Sox postseason grand slam has come in the ALCS, except for the first one. Down 2-0 in the ALDS against Cleveland, Boston won Games 3 and 4 in routs, scoring a combined 32 runs. Trailing 5-3 in the top of the third when O'Leary came up with the bases loaded, he hit a grand slam to right-center to give Boston a short-lived 6-5 lead... and it wasn't even the biggest hit of O'Leary's night.
The Indians immediately regained the lead with a three-spot in the bottom of the third, forcing Pedro Martinez into the game in relief. He'd go on to throw six no-hit innings as Boston tied the game at 8, when O'Leary hit a go-ahead three-run blast in the seventh to put the Red Sox up for good.