INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Folarin Balogun could have played for any one of three countries. He chose the United States, and it paid off with a splashy World Cup debut on home soil.
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez hits a two-run home run hit during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run hit during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrates with Jeremy Pena (3) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a grand slam during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez became the first player to hit a grand slam and multi-run homer in the first inning of an MLB game, pulling off the feat for the Houston Astros in a 10-8 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
He became the eighth player to hit a grand slam and a multi-run homer in an inning and the first since Angels slugger Kendrys Morales did it against Texas in 2012, according to Sportradar.
The left-handed Alvarez drove in two runs with an opposite-field homer early in the inning and cleared the bases with a two-out shot to center, giving him six RBIs in Houston's nine-run inning.
With his two-homer inning, Alvarez moved into a tie with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead at 24.
The 28-year-old designated hitter, who is from Cuba, was the AL rookie of the year in 2019 with Houston. The three-time All-Star was the AL Championship Series MVP in 2021 and led the Astros with six RBIs the next year when they won the World Series.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.