Clayton Kershaw gave up his first ever grand slam against the Phillies

Aaron Altherr, of all people. Aaron Altherr.

A career .234 hitting with only 25 home runs in four seasons with the Phillies, 26-year-old Aaron Altherr became the first person ever to hit a grand slam off Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw.

After 1,917 career innings pitched, only 125 (now 126) home runs allowed in 10 seasons in the league, and a dominant reputation, Kershaw finally let up a grand slam. Before Monday, he had loaded the bases 103 total times. Nobody had ever managed to hit a home run in that situation before now.

Athlerr’s hit was a 418-foot dinger off a Kershaw hanging slider, which ended up being the difference in the game as the Phillies ultimately won 4-3. Kershaw only let up those four runs off four total hits, but left after the sixth inning anyway.

The Dodgers had three home runs themselves but it wasn’t enough to counteract Altherr’s one sweet shot. History is always more fun to watch then no one is remotely prepared for a great moment to happen, which is exactly what happened here.

Even Kershaw couldn’t pitch himself out of bases-loaded jams forever.

Update: In no way was the shock of Aaron Altherr being the first to hit a grand slam off of Clayton Kershaw due to Altherr’s talent. He’s leveled up to be a good player for the Phillies this season, and the surprise here was not a neg of Altherr or the Phillies as the whole. That this wasn’t clear in the original post is my fault.

But, if everyone had a personal ranking of who the first person to hit a grand slam off of Kershaw would be, in all probability not many people would put Altherr at the top of that list.

OK fine I’ll just say it: Aaron Altherr...he’s good, folks.