May 17, 1987: Pags' Grand Slam Leads The Way

     On May 17 , 1987, Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi hit the first grand slam of his career during the fifth inning of a 10-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in St. Louis. The big blast was the headline grabber, however, every single man in the starting lineup, including pitcher Lee Tunnell  picked up a hit, as the Birds picked up a total of 15 hits on the day. Vince Coleman fell a home run shy of the cycle, while Willie McGee picked up three hits. While Ozzie Smith and Tommy Herr picked up two apiece. Tunnell struck out six, walked one, and surrendered two solo shots.

     Tunnell started nine games for the pennant winning club, then took on a role in the bullpen. The 24-year-old backstop was just getting his career started. Not known for his power, Pagnozzi would become a fixture around the ballpark through the 1998 season. He hit just 44 home runs in his career, and only one more of them would be of  the grand slam variety. Best known for his ability behind the dish, Pagnozzi took home three Gold Glove awards during his career.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198705170.shtml