MILWAUKEE -- After the Nationals' 14-6 victory over the Brewers on Monday night, outfielder Josh Willingham checked his cell phone and realized that he had 20 text messages.

Most of them came from family and friends, who congratulated him for having the best game of his career. He went 3-for-5, including two grand slams. Willingham became the 13th player in Major League history to hit two grand slams in a game and tied a franchise record with eight RBIs.





"We got a scouting report on him, but I've never seen him and I missed the first slider or cutter that he threw me, so I thought it was coming again and he threw it again," Willingham said. "I got some good extension on it and hit it out."

The last player to hit two grand slams in a game was Red Sox infielder Bill Mueller, who did the trick on July 29, 2003. Mueller, like Willingham, hit his slams in consecutive innings. Willingham became the sixth to hit slams in successive frames.

Day to remember
Tony LazzeriYankees5/24/19362nd, 5th
Jim TaborRed Sox7/4/19393rd, 6th
Rudy YorkRed Sox7/27/19462nd, 5th
Jim GentileOrioles5/9/19611st, 2nd
Tony CloningerBraves4/3/19661st, 4th
Jim NorthrupTigers6/24/19685th, 6th
Frank RobinsonOrioles6/26/19705th, 6th
Robin VenturaWhite Sox9/4/19954th, 5th
Chris HoilesOrioles8/14/19983rd, 8th
Fernando TatisCardinals4/23/1999Both in 3rd
Nomar GarciaparraRed Sox5/10/19991st, 8th
Bill MuellerRed Sox7/29/20037th, 8th
Josh WillinghamNationals7/27/20096th, 7th

The last National League player to pull it off was then-Cardinals third baseman Fernando Tatis on April 23, 1999, against the Dodgers. Tatis is the only player in history to hit a pair of slams in the same inning. Willingham is just the third National Leaguer to pull off the feat.

"Everything has to be lined up right for you. You have to be seeing the ball good, hitting the ball good. Your teammates have to be on base for you all night," interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "You have to have things going your way, and he did. He is a very good hitter. He is such a pro.

"He has really been [a good hitter] for three months straight with the exception of coming out of the All-Star break, which cooled him off for about a week. He has cranked it back up again."

Adam Dunn scored ahead of Willingham on both grand slams, and Dunn was amazed that Willingham accomplished a rare feat.

"Often times, you don't see the bases loaded twice for the same guy in the same game, much less a guy hitting two grand slams," Dunn said. "That's pretty amazing. That hasn't been done many times."

Willingham has been doing the job for most of the season. Since May 5, he is hitting .326 with 15 home runs with 37 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who started the season on the bench.

"Reps are key," Willingham said. "In April, I wasn't getting a whole lot of reps. You have to get in there and get consistent at-bats. I've been able to do that. I always felt if I was able to get my at-bats, my numbers would be there at the end of the year. Hopefully, I will continue to swing the bat well."