Royce Lewis hits birthday grand slam; fan catches foul ball in beer (then chugs it)

The Cooler: We have a story about beer and a story about two precocious Twins prospects in Cedar Rapids who can't yet have a beer.

June 6, 2018 at 2:27PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

In this edition of The Cooler, we have a story about beer and a story about precocious Twins prospects who can't yet have a beer. Let's get to it:

*It was a memorable night in Cedar Rapids for two of the Twins' most promising young hitting prospects.

On his 19th birthday, last year's No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis hit his first professional grand slam. Lewis blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence, turning a 3-2 Cedar Rapids lead into a 7-2 advantage. Here's a look at the home run on a pretty smooth swing:

Not to be outdone, 20-year-old teammate Alex Kirilloff hit a grand slam of his own later in the game, part of a 14-3 Kernels rout of Beloit. Kirilloff, a left-handed hitter, hit his slam to the opposite field off a left-handed pitcher — both impressive feats.

Lewis is hitting .294 with four home runs, while Kirilloff is tearing up the league with a .330 average and 11 home runs. Our own Joe Christensen profiled both players recently during a trip to Cedar Rapids.

*Padres fan Gabby DiMarco was enjoying a beer and the game at Petco Park against Atlanta on Tuesday when her moment of fame arrived.

A ball fouled back flew into the seats near DiMarco and bounced directly into her full beer. What is a person supposed to do in that moment? Exactly what DiMarco did: Smile, enjoy the moment … and then chug the beer with the ball still inside it.

She's the hero America wanted and needed. You can check out the video here.

*I still look at this tweet once a month or so with amazement. I think you should, too.

about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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