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Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez had what most people would consider a great game in the first inning.
In the Astros’ 10-8 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday at Kauffman Stadium, Alvarez hit a home run and a grand slam in the first inning. He became just the eighth player to hit a multi-run homer and grand slam in the same inning in MLB history, according to Sportradar.
Alvarez’s first blast came from Royals starter Luinder Avila when he hammered an 84 mph curveball to the opposite field, 368 feet over the left field wall for a two-run homer to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.
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Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri on June 12, 2026. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
First baseman Christian Walker homered past Alvarez, giving the Astros back-to-back jacks in the first inning. The inning looked like it was going to slow down, as Isaac Paredes and José Altuve made back-to-back outs, but the Astros put together an impressive two-out rally.
Joey Loperfido walked, while Cam Smith and Taylor Trammell both singled. Loperfido scored on Trammell’s single, making it 4-0. Christian Vásquez and Jeremy Peña both walked to load the bases, and Smith scored on a passed ball to make it 5-0.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro removed Avila from the game as Alvarez appeared for the second time in the inning with the bases loaded. Mason Black entered the game and hooked an 85 mph sweeper to Alvarez, which he hit over the center field wall for a grand slam, giving the Astros a 9–0 lead.
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Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros celebrates with Christian Walker after hitting a grand slam in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri on June 12, 2026. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
The first inning scoring wasn’t over yet, as the Royals responded with five runs in the bottom of the first. They dwindled as the game progressed, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Astros’ first-inning blowout.
Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs and tied with Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead with 24 home runs.
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Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri on June 12, 2026. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
Alvarez is the 63rd player in major league history to hit two home runs in a single inning, and the first Houston player since Jeff Bagwell did it on June 24, 1994. He is the first since Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz did it on August 12, 2008, in the first inning.
The 28-year-old has been one of the best hitters in the American League and is in the running for MVP. In 70 games, he has a .321 batting average with 24 home runs and 54 RBIs, leading the American League in that category. He also leads the American League in OPS and intentional walks.
