IN THE NEWS: Seattle 1B David Segui homers from both sides of the plate in the Mariners 97 loss to Cleveland. Segui adds a double and drives in five runs.
The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays win their first game in franchise history, beating the Tigers, 118. Fred McGriff has four RBIs on three hits.
The Angels put together a four run rally in the 4th to hand the Yankees a 41 opening day defeat. Matt Walbeck's two RBI triple was the big hit in the game. Chuck Finley earned the win as he gave up a run on four hits and six walks in seven IP, with seven K's. Chuck Knoblauch entered the record books as he played his 1000th game at 2B and set the American League record for highest career fielding percentage.
The Angels sign free agent pitcher Steve Sparks to a minor league contract. He'll go 08 in the minors, earning a promotion, where he'll go 94. The knuckler missed the entire 1997 season when he injured himself ripping a phone book in half following a spring training game.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 1, 1998
Anaheim Angels
4, New York Yankees 1 at Anaheim Stadium (att. 43,311)
W: Chuck Finley L: Andy Pettitte S: Troy Percival
Baltimore Orioles
10, Kansas City Royals 1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 38,623)
W: Scott Erickson L: Glendon Rusch
Boston Red Sox
2, Oakland Athletics 0 at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (att. 36,915)
W: Pedro Martinez L: Tom Candiotti S: Tom Gordon
Cleveland Indians
9, Seattle Mariners 7 at Kingdome (att. 24,523)
W: Jaret Wright L: Jamie Moyer S: Mike Jackson
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
11, Detroit Tigers 8 at Tropicana Field (att. 30,109)
W: Rolando Arrojo L: Brian Moehler
Toronto Blue Jays
3, Minnesota Twins 2 at Skydome (att. 41,387)
By hitting a home run in Colorado's 64 win over Arizona at Bank One Ballpark, Rockies OF Ellis Burks sets a major league record by having homered in 33 different stadiums.
Jeromy Burnitz hits two home runs, including an 11th inning grand slam, as the Brewers hold on to beat the Braves, 86. It is the Brewers first win in the National League.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 2, 1998
Anaheim Angels
10, New York Yankees 2 at Anaheim Stadium (att. 29,899)
W: Ken Hill L: David Wells
Baltimore Orioles
4, Kansas City Royals 3 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 39,435)
W: Armando Benitez L: Jeff Montgomery
Boston Red Sox
6, Oakland Athletics 3 at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (att. 7,313)
W: John Wasdin L: Billy Taylor S: Tom Gordon
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
7, Detroit Tigers 1 at Tropicana Field (att. 28,261)
W: Esteban Yan L: Tim Worrell
Texas Rangers
20, Chicago White Sox 4 at The Ballpark in Arlington (att. 32,663)
IN THE NEWS: Brewers SS Jose Valentin strokes three home runs, and drives in five runs, to lead Milwaukee to a 71 victory over the Marlins.
Just four days after being obtained in a trade with Cleveland, Reds 1B Sean Casey is hit in the eye with a ball thrown by Damian Jackson during batting practice. His eye orbit is fractured, and will require surgery on April 8.
IN THE NEWS: Cardinals 1B Mark McGwire homers in his 4th straight game to tie the National League record set by Willie Mays in 1971 for home runs in consecutive games at the beginning of the season. The Cardinals defeat the Padres by an 86 score.
The Twins' Mike Morgan hurls the first seven innings of Minnesota's 32 loss to KC. In doing so, he ties a modern major league mark, shared by Bob Miller and Ken Brett, by appearing in a game with his 10th team. In the game, Minnesota OF Otis Nixon has his jaw broken while sliding into 2B when he is kicked in the face by Royals SS Felix Martinez.
IN THE NEWS: Houston trounces Colorado, 134, despite five hits by Rockies' RF Dante Bichette. Jeff Bagwell homers and drives home three runs for the Astros.
The Cleveland Indians request permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell shares of the team to the public. Plans are made for an initial offering of four million shares.
IN THE NEWS: The Orioles (71) win their 7th straight, 21, tying the score on Cal Ripken's 7th inning homer. Ripken moves ahead of Lou Gehrig to 45th on the career hit list.
IN THE NEWS: The Dodgers Mike Piazza becomes the 5th National League player in history to hit grand slams in consecutive games by homering in the Dodgers 72 win over the Astros. Piazza also homered with the bags full, while driving in six runs, in last night's 72 win over Arizona. He'll hit another on April 24th to tie the major-league record for slams in a month.
Tino Martinez leads the Yankees to a historical 1713 win over the A's. Martinez had three hits, including a double and home run, five RBI, and four runs. The teams combine for a Yankee Stadium record with 30 runs, topping the old record of 28 set on June 3, 1933. The Yankees' 17 runs are the most in a home opener since 1955.
Cubs' OF Henry Rodriguez gets five hits and drives home three runs in Chicago's 130 win over Montreal. Kevin Tapani limits the Expos to just three hits to gain the win.
Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox and Steve Finley of the Padres each hit gameending grand slams, the first time two players accomplished the feat on the same day since 1982. Vaughn's gives Boston a 97 win over Seattle, while Finley's powers San Diego to a 64 victory over Arizona.
Down 72, the Red Sox jump on Seattle for seven runs in the last half of the 9th to defeat the Mariners, 97. Four Mariner relievers fail to get a single batter out in the frame, as Mo Vaughn's grand slam off Paul Spoljaric is the decisive hit.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 10, 1998
Boston Red Sox
9, Seattle Mariners 7 at Fenway Park (att. 32,805)
IN THE NEWS: Andy Pettitte pitches the Yankees to a 31 win over the A's, to put the team over the .500 mark for the first time in the season. Pettitte earned his 1st win of the year, beating Tom Candiotti. Derek Jeter has two hits, two runs, and two steals.
In the Reds 125 win over the host Rockies, the two teams tie a 19th century major-league record as eight players have three or more hits. The Reds have six players with three hits.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 11, 1998
Boston Red Sox
5, Seattle Mariners 0 at Fenway Park (att. 32,403)
W: Pedro Martinez L: Jamie Moyer
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
5, Chicago White Sox 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 17,332)
W: Rick Gorecki L: Jason Bere
Cleveland Indians
8, Anaheim Angels 5 at Jacobs Field (att. 42,802)
W: Charles Nagy L: Jason Dickson S: Mike Jackson
Baltimore Orioles
2, Detroit Tigers 0 at Tiger Stadium (att. 22,094)
W: Mike Mussina L: Justin Thompson S: Armando Benitez
IN THE NEWS: With their 41 win over the White Sox, Tampa Bay becomes the 1st expansion team in history to have a record over .500 after their first 10 games.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 12, 1998
Boston Red Sox
8, Seattle Mariners 7 at Fenway Park (att. 23,270)
W: John Wasdin L: Heathcliff Slocumb
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
4, Chicago White Sox 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 14,004)
W: Wilson Alvarez L: Jaime Navarro S: Roberto Hernandez
Anaheim Angels
12, Cleveland Indians 1 at Jacobs Field (att. 42,555)
W: Chuck Finley L: Jaret Wright
Baltimore Orioles
6, Detroit Tigers 3 at Tiger Stadium (att. 11,183)
W: Scott Erickson L: Greg Keagle S: Armando Benitez
IN THE NEWS: Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. slugs two home runs in a 65 loss to Cleveland. In doing so, he becomes the secondyoungest player in big league history to reach 300 homers for his career, at 28 years and 143 days. Jimmie Foxx, at 27 years 328 days, was the youngest.
Lee Stevens of the Rangers hits three home runs and drives in four in a 101 victory over the Tigers.
Cardinals rookie C Eli Marrero returns to action after undergoing surgery for the removal of a malignant tumor from his neck on March 6. He hits the first pitch he sees for a triple, and also homers in the Cardinals 82 loss to the Giants.
A steel joint, weighing several hundred pounds, falls through a roof panel at Yankee Stadium, destroying a seat located between 3rd base and home plate. Luckily, the Yankees are scheduled to play a night game, and no fans are in the stadium at the time. Emergency inspections are scheduled, and the game against the Angels is canceled. The final game of the series will be played at Shea Stadium, while next week's series against the Tigers is switched to Detroit.
IN THE NEWS: Atlanta rookie pitcher Kevin Millwood pitches a 1hitter against Pittsburgh, shutting out the Pirates, 60. He fans 13 in the contest, without walking a single batter.
Mark McGwire of the Cardinals hits three home runs and notches five ribbies in a 155 victory over the Diamondbacks. Matt Williams hits a grand slam, the first in Diamondbacks history.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 14, 1998
Baltimore Orioles
4, Chicago White Sox 3 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 43,039)
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees defeat the Angels, 63, in an afternoon game played at Shea Stadium. The Mets defeat the Cubs, 21, in a night game, marking the first time in history that American and National League games are played in the same park on the same day.
Sammy Sosa of the Cubs hits his 210th career home run in the Cubs 21 loss to the Mets. He breaks Bob Horner's major league record for most home runs without a grand slam from the start of a career.
San Diego's Kevin Brown shuts out the Giants, 10, on a 4hitter. Brown almost matches the Giants himself, as he gets three hits in four at bats.
IN THE NEWS: At Boston, the Sox pinch run OF Damon Buford in the 9th, then hide him in the infield in the 10th against the Indians. He starts the 10th at 2B, then switches to 3B after Manny Ramirez singles. John Valentin goes to 2B. An out later they switch back, then switch again after another out. The Tribe fails to score and Boston wins in the 10th, 32.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees set a team record for the longest win streak in Detroit as they win their 12th straight, beating the Tigers, 83. It is their 8th straight win overall and David Cone's 1st of the year. Greg Keagle takes the loss. The Tigers beat the Yanks tomorrow, 21.
The Cardinals unveiled a bronze statute of Bob Gibson outside Busch Stadium, then beat the Phils, 65.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 18, 1998
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
8, Anaheim Angels 1 at Anaheim Stadium (att. 37,878)
W: Wilson Alvarez L: Jason Dickson
Cleveland Indians
7, Boston Red Sox 4 at Fenway Park (att. 31,735)
W: Tom Martin L: Dennis Eckersley S: Mike Jackson
New York Yankees
8, Detroit Tigers 3 at Tiger Stadium (att. 13,803)
W: David Cone L: Greg Keagle
Seattle Mariners
5, Minnesota Twins 3 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (att. 23,943)
W: Ken Cloude L: Bob Tewksbury S: Bobby Ayala
Oakland Athletics
3, Kansas City Royals 2 at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (att. 10,274)
W: Kenny Rogers L: Glendon Rusch S: Billy Taylor
Baltimore Orioles
10, Texas Rangers 8 at The Ballpark in Arlington (att. 43,883)
IN THE NEWS: Florida Marlins rookie 3B Kevin Millar makes his first major league start against the Diamondbacks. On the first pitch he sees from Jeff Suppan, Millar swings and hits a foul ball. In doing so, he breaks the hamate bone in his left hand, sending him to the DL. Florida goes on to defeat Arizona, 43.
The Mets score three runs in each of the last three innings to take a 140 victory over the Reds, the largest shutout in team history. Another team mark is tied when LF Bernard Gilkey scores five times.
The Blue Jays beat the White Sox, 54, despite Lou Frazier tying the Sox team record (George Davis and Jimmy Callahan, in 1905) for stolen bases with 4. Interestingly, Frazier is 0-for-3 at the plate. Albert Belle homers for the Sox and Mike Stanley and Ed Sprague go back to back for the Jays in the 4th.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 19, 1998
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
6, Anaheim Angels 0 at Anaheim Stadium (att. 34,580)
IN THE NEWS: In the Mariners 87 win over the Royals, Alex Rodriguez again paces Seattle with two doubles and a homer. the young star ties Earl Sheehy's 1926 American League record of eight extra base hits in three straight games: Alex had a triple and home run on the 18th, two doubles and a triple on the 19th.
IN THE NEWS: White Sox 2B Ray Durham ties a major league record by reaching base on an error three times in Chicago's 147 victory over the Indians. Durham adds three hits, scores four runs, and drives home 2. Chicago breaks the game open by scoring nine runs in the 5th inning. Durham was also involved in two other plays in which he advanced on errorsa SB in which he went to 3rd on a throwing error and he triples and scores on another error.
The Yankees, in first by a half game, pound Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte shuts down the Blue Jays, as the Yankees prevail, 91. Scott Brosius has three hits and five RBI. Pettitte pitches a complete game and allows one run (unearned) on six hits and one walk, with six strike outs. Clemens takes the loss allowing nine runs (6 earned), the 3rd time in Clemens' great career that he allowed nine runs in a game and the 2nd time against the Yankees. Clemens K's out six and reaches 2900.
IN THE NEWS: Brewers' OF Marquis Grissom hits his 103rd career homer in Milwaukee's 21 win over the Dodgers. He surpasses Lou Piniella's old record for most homers without a multipleHR game. Grissom eventually reaches 109 career home run before hitting a pair on September 26.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 23, 1998
Cleveland Indians
5, Chicago White Sox 4 at Jacobs Field (att. 42,865)
W: Eric Plunk L: Tony Castillo S: Mike Jackson
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
12, Texas Rangers 5 at The Ballpark in Arlington (att. 33,319)
IN THE NEWS: Yankee Stadium is cleared to reopen, so a series that was originally scheduled to be in Detroit opens in New York. Darryl Strawberry homers to complete a four run rally in the 1st in the Yankees 84 win. David Cone earns the win, his 150th, over Greg Keagle.
Moises Alou drives in five runs and Carl Everett homers from each side of the platethe 7th time an Astro has accomplished thisto lead the Astros to an 84 win over Montreal.
John Burkett lasts just four 2/3 innings but gives up 11 earned runs8 in the 2ndto set a Rangers' club record for earned runs allowed.
The Mets unveil a model of their proposed new stadium. The park, patterned after the old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, will have a retractable roof and a retractable field, so that it can be used for an assortment of events.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 24, 1998
Oakland Athletics
10, Baltimore Orioles 1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 47,411)
W: Kenny Rogers L: Scott Kamieniecki
Toronto Blue Jays
3, Chicago White Sox 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 14,198)
IN THE NEWS: Cal Ripken plays in his 2,500th consecutive game as the Orioles defeat the A's, 82. Ripken gets two singles in five at bats and drives in three runs. The next 22 longest active streaks add up to less than Cal's 2500.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 25, 1998
Baltimore Orioles
8, Oakland Athletics 2 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 46,026)
W: Jimmy Key L: Jimmy Haynes
Chicago White Sox
8, Toronto Blue Jays 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 14,457)
IN THE NEWS: Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal is seriously injured in an automobile accident in the Dominican Republic. Marichal is hospitalized with injuries to his head, neck, spine and left leg.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 27, 1998
Anaheim Angels
3, Baltimore Orioles 1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 42,961)
W: Chuck Finley L: Scott Erickson S: Troy Percival
Boston Red Sox
6, Detroit Tigers 5 at Fenway Park (att. 18,456)
W: Dennis Eckersley L: Sean Runyan S: Tom Gordon
Chicago White Sox
10, Cleveland Indians 3 at Comiskey Park II (att. 13,575)
W: Mike Sirotka L: Chad Ogea
Texas Rangers
9, Minnesota Twins 4 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (att. 8,349)
W: Rick Helling L: Mike Morgan
New York Yankees
1, Toronto Blue Jays 0 at Yankee Stadium (att. 17,863)
W: Andy Pettitte L: Roger Clemens S: Mariano Rivera
IN THE NEWS: Texas OF Juan Gonzalez drives home two runs in the Rangers 72 win over the Twins, giving him a major league record 35 RBIs for the month of April. Tino Martinez had 34 in 1997.
OF Tony Gwynn leads San Diego to a 73 win over the Cubs as he strokes five hits, including a home run, scores three runs, and drives home 2. It is his 9th game of five or more hits (one 6-hit game) placing him 3rd on the all-time list behind Ty Cobb (14) and Rose (10).
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 28, 1998
Anaheim Angels
6, Baltimore Orioles 5 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (att. 41,877)
W: Jason Dickson L: Nerio Rodriguez S: Troy Percival
Detroit Tigers
7, Boston Red Sox 5 at Fenway Park (att. 20,936)
W: Bryce Florie L: Brian Shouse S: Todd Jones
Cleveland Indians
4, Chicago White Sox 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 13,208)
W: Charles Nagy L: Matt Karchner S: Mike Jackson
Seattle Mariners
5, Kansas City Royals 1 at Royals Stadium (att. 11,630)
W: Randy Johnson L: Scott Service
Texas Rangers
7, Minnesota Twins 2 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (att. 8,570)
W: Darren Oliver L: Eric Milton
Toronto Blue Jays
5, New York Yankees 2 at Yankee Stadium (att. 18,727)
W: Woody Williams L: Ramiro Mendoza S: Randy Myers
IN THE NEWS: Oakland rookie OF Ben Grieve gets five hits in the Athletics' 114 win over Cleveland. He scores four runs in the contest while knocking in a pair.
Led by Wil Cordero and Albert Belle, the White Sox pound on the Orioles, 167, ruining Sidey Ponson's 1st ML start. Cordero, cut by Boston on the last day of spring training, has two home runs and five RBI, and Belle has two home runs and four RBI. Belle follows a Frank Thomas home run with his 1st dinger, and Robin Ventura follows Belle's 2nd with another. Thomas adds a big hurt, breaking reliever Norm Charlton's nose with a line single in the 7th.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 29, 1998
Boston Red Sox
8, Anaheim Angels 4 at Fenway Park (att. 21,557)
W: Tim Wakefield L: Allen Watson S: Tom Gordon
Chicago White Sox
16, Baltimore Orioles 7 at Comiskey Park II (att. 12,262)
W: Jaime Navarro L: Sidney Ponson
Oakland Athletics
11, Cleveland Indians 4 at Jacobs Field (att. 42,190)
W: Kenny Rogers L: Jaret Wright
Texas Rangers
4, Detroit Tigers 1 at Tiger Stadium (att. 10,051)
IN THE NEWS: The Rangers manage just two runs in a 72 loss to the Tigers, but establish a new major league mark for runs scored in the month of April with 180.
The Cubs record their 1,000th win over the Cardinals, winning 83 behind Kerry Wood. Mark McGwire hits his 11th, off Marc Pisciotta in the 8th.
SCOREBOARD: APRIL 30, 1998
Anaheim Angels
7, Boston Red Sox 2 at Fenway Park (att. 21,526)
W: Ken Hill L: Robinson Checo
Baltimore Orioles
4, Chicago White Sox 1 at Comiskey Park II (att. 11,772)
W: Jimmy Key L: Scott Eyre S: Armando Benitez
Oakland Athletics
5, Cleveland Indians 2 at Jacobs Field (att. 42,855)
W: T. J. Mathews L: Paul Assenmacher S: Billy Taylor
Detroit Tigers
7, Texas Rangers 2 at Tiger Stadium (att. 29,336)
W: Brian Moehler L: Bobby Witt
Tampa Bay Devil RaysDevil Rays
2, Minnesota Twins 0 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (att. 8,860)
W: Rolando Arrojo L: La Troy Hawkins
New York Yankees
9, Seattle Mariners 8 (10 inn.) at Yankee Stadium (att. 28,517)