It must be the time of year for grand slams.

Manny Machado had two homers on Sunday, including an eighth-inning grand slam that drew a curtain call from the faithful at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. On this day in Orioles history, May 9, 1962, Brooks Robinson hit a grand slam for a second consecutive game. Meanwhile, a year earlier, on May 9, 1961, “Diamond” Jim Gentile had grand slams in consecutive innings versus the Minnesota Twins.

Brooksie’s grand slam came as part of a six-run second inning at Memorial Stadium for the O’s. It was the only inning in which the team scored as they beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-3. His previous grand slam came on May 6 as part of a 15-7 loss to the Angels.

Robinson finished his career with six grand slams. He is one of 41 Orioles players to have multiple grand slams in the same season.

Gentile leads the O’s list with five grand slams in 1961. He broke Willie Mays’ 1955 record for grand slams in ’61, and Don Mattingly eclipsed his mark with six grand slams in 1986. You can read more about Gentile’s two grand slam day in this Flashback Friday post. Gentile’s nine RBI that day are tied for the team record with Eddie Murray’s nine RBI on Aug. 26, 1985, a three-homer outing that featured one grand slam.

Eddie Murray (1985), Chris Hoiles (1998), and Reggie Jackson (1976) are second on the Orioles’ record list with three grand slams in a season. Machado has plenty of at-bats left to catch them this season. And there’s a game in Minnesota this evening if he wants to match Robinson’s grand-slams-in-consecutive-games feat.

-34-