Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Buddy Kennedy hit a single in his first MLB game Friday night and a triple on Saturday.
He picked an opportune time to knock off his next milestone Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.
Kennedy saw a 3-0 fastball just above the letters with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and jumped on it for a grand slam, his first big-league home run.
HAVE A DAY @KennedyBuddy!! First major league GRAND SLAM!!
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— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 19, 2022
The Bally Sports Arizona cameras caught Kennedy’s dad, Clifton, ecstatic in the stands, jumping up and down with his arms raised after receiving quite the Father’s Day gift.
The 394-foot shot that landed in the left-field bleachers gave Arizona a 7-1 lead and a stronghold over the series that was 1-1 entering the day.
The crowd at Chase Field chanted,” Buddy, Buddy, Buddy,” and the rookie gave a curtain call after the blast.
Kennedy has scored a run in each of his first three games with the D-backs.
Buddy Kennedy’s first MLB home run is a grand slam on Father’s Day with dad there watching!
Yeah, that’s worthy of a curtain call
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— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) June 19, 2022
The 23-year-old is the second D-backs rookie to blast a grand slam as his first big-league home run this season. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo did the same on June 7 in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Kennedy had four home runs in 54 games with Triple-A Reno this season after collecting 22 across Double-A and Triple-A in 2021.
Kennedy’s grandfather, four-time MLB All-Star Don Money, joked on the TV broadcast Friday night that Kennedy picked up his first hit during his third plate appearance while Money did so in his second.
Well, Kennedy has a home run three games in while Money hit his first — and second — long ball during his fifth MLB game.
The D-backs defeated the Twins 7-1 to win the three-game set, with Kennedy catching the final out pop-up.
Kennedy and his father both participated in the postgame interview on TV, and Clifton took the brunt of the Gatorade shower.
“I’m gonna get @athomas22 back though!”
Buddy Kennedy will have other opportunities for postgame gatorade baths. Today was Dad’s turn
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— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) June 19, 2022
Arizona is back in action Monday against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The game will start at 6:40 p.m. Tune in on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.