SAN DIEGO — Trent Grisham hit three home runs and rookie Jake Cronenworth launched a grand slam in a wild nine-run second inning Saturday night, making the San Diego Padres the first team in major league history to hit five slams in six games as they cruised to a 13-2 rout of the Houston Astros.
Earlier in the week, the Padres became the first club to hit a grand slam in four straight games.
Grisham had his first three-homer game and drove in a career-high six runs. Zach Davies (4-2), who came over from Milwaukee with Grisham in an offseason deal, pitched eight brilliant innings to give the beat-up bullpen a much-needed rest and help the Padres win their sixth consecutive game.
Cronenworth drove a 3-1 pitch from Humberto Castellanos into the home run deck in right field to give San Diego an 11-1 lead. It was San Diego’s third homer of the inning and fifth of the game. The home run deck now has a number of mannequins wearing Padres gear, and the ball landed near one wearing a Slam Diego No. 4 jersey.
Cronenworth, obtained along with outfielder Tommy Pham in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay, became the 20th Padres rookie to hit a grand slam. It was his third homer of the year and he had his first three-hit game.
Earlier in the week, the Padres hit grand slams in four straight games during a sweep of the Texas Rangers in a home-and-home series.
That onslaught started with Fernando Tatis Jr.’s slam Monday night on a 3-0 count with a seven-run lead, reigniting a debate about etiquette and baseball’s so-called “unwritten rules.” Wil Myers hit a slam on Tuesday, Manny Machado had a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning Wednesday night and Eric Hosmer capped the run with a historic shot on Thursday night.
Hosmer batted with the bases loaded Friday night but grounded out.
On Saturday night, Myers opened the second inning with a homer and Grisham hit a three-run shot with one out, with Cronenworth aboard on a single. Tatis was hit by a pitch from rookie Brandon Bielak (3-1), who made way for Castellanos. Both teams were warned by the umpires, and Houston’s Martin Maldonado was ejected from the dugout.
Grisham also hit a leadoff shot and Machado had a solo shot with one out in the first.
The six homers tied the Padres’ home record set Aug. 9 against Arizona.