2002
» Mike Piazza hits two home runs and drives home six as the Mets defeat the Diamondbacks, 10–1. Al Leiter gets the victory for NY and in doing so becomes the first pitcher to have defeated all 30 ML teams. Both Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks and Kevin Brown of the Los Angeles Dodgers have beaten 29 teams, but Johnson needs a win against his own team, the D'Backs, for 30.

The Rockies score eight times in bottom of the 4th inning on the way to a 10–0 whitewashing of the Pirates. The wheels come off for Buc starter Dave Williams as he hits two batters and makes two balks in the 4th. Mike Hampton goes seven innings for the win.

The Rangers defeat the Blue Jays, 10–3. Alex Rodriguez hits the 250th home run of his career for Texas, becoming the 2nd–youngest player in history to reach that number. Jimmie Foxx was eight days younger when he did so.

The Angels hand the Indians their worst loss ever at Jacobs Field, defeating the Tribe by a score of 21–2. Anaheim scores in seven innings and plates 10 runs in the 8th inning to give them their highest total in 23 years. Troy Glaus has five RBIs and Jeff DaVanon four.

For the 2nd day in a row, Barry Bonds belts two homers to lead the Giants to a 12–0 rout of the Dodgers. Winner Russ Ortiz helps with a 2–run home run and batterymate Benito Santiago chips in a 3–run home run. Going back to last year, Bonds is now 10 for his last 14 at bats, with seven homers.

The Royals name bullpen coach John Mizerock as their interim manager, replacing Tony Muser who was fired yesterday.

The Brewers name Jerry Royster as their permanent manager.

The Colorado Rockies, with permission, are storing their balls in a humidity– and temperature–controlled room, according to Rockies president Keli McGregor. The room keeps the humidity at 40 percent, compared with 10 percent or less humidity often felt in the mile–high city. In their first seven Aprils, the Rockies and their opponents combined to average 15.1 runs per game. This April, the average total score at Coors Field was 9.8 runs—a 35.1 percent decrease. Through the first 16 games at Coors, scoring is off 4.69 runs a game—2.15 runs a game greater than the park with the second–biggest run decrease, San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. However, once the warm weather—and the Yankees—hits, run production will jump.

2000
» The Diamondbacks defeat the Cubs, 6-0, as Randy Johnson becomes just the 3rd pitcher in modern history to win six games in April.

The Cardinals defeat the Phillies, 4-3, as Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds hit home runs. St. Louis finishes the month with 55 homers, a new record for April. It also ties the National League mark for homers in any month.

Going deep. Major league batters set a record for most homers in a month by hitting 931 in April. The total is 140 more than the number hit last season.

1999
» The Braves defeat the Reds, 3–0, on John Smoltz's one–hitter. C Ed Taubensee's 5th–inning single is Cincinnati's only safety.

The Royals defeat the Yankees, 13–6, as 2,500 KC fans protest the wide disparity in baseball payrolls by turning their backs during Yankee at bats, and walking out early.

1998
» The Rangers manage just two runs in a 7–2 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 8–3 behind Kerry Wood. Mark McGwire hits his 11th, off Marc Pisciotta in the 8th.

1997
» The Yankees get a lead off home run from Tim Raines and nine strike outs from David Wells to beat the Mariners, 3–2. Joe Torre wins his 1,000th game while Dennis Martinez takes the loss, dropping his record against the Yanks to 2–18. Jay Buhner homers for the M's in the 9th against closer Mariano Rivera. Tino Martinez hits his 9th home run in the 8th inning, upping his ML-record RBI total to 34 for the month. Martinez will have 40 RBIs in his first 30 games, the first player to do so since Roy Campanella in 1953; Campy had 44.

Fred McGriff homers twice and Michael Tucker has five hits to lead the Braves to 12–3 win over the stumbling Reds. The Braves complete the first 19-win April in ML history. The Reds, losers of their 12th in 14 contests, get three hits from Deion Sanders, who raises his average to .385. Neon also swipes his 19th base.

Toronto's Roger Clemens allows three hits in winning his 4th, 1–0 over Kansas City. Carlos Delgado hits a 4th inning home run for the only score.

Mark McGwire hits two tape-measure blasts as the A's outslug the Indians, 11–9, in 10 innings. McGwire's first shot, off Orel Hershiser, is the first ever off the Jacobs Field scoreboard and dents the Budweiser sign. It travels an estimated 485 feet. His 2nd, in the 10th, is the tie-breaker.

The Giants finish their best April in 24 years (17-7) by beating on the Pirates, 6–1, on Mark Gardner's 3-hit pitching. Jeff Kent's 3rd inning grand slam, off Jon Lieber, gives Gardner all the support he needs.

In an 11–5 win over the Cubs, Rockies star Larry Walker hits his 11th homer in April, tying the NL record. Willie Stargell, Mike Schmidt, Gary Sheffield, and Barry Bonds have done it.

1996
» In the longest 9-inning game ever—4 hours and 21 minutes—the Yankees outslug the Orioles, 13–10 to disappoint 43,117 at Camden Yards. The host O's score nine runs off starter Andy Pettitte and take a 9–4 lead in the 2nd. New York ties it at 9–9 in the 5th, then wins it in the 7th on Tino Martinez's 3-run shot. Jim Leyritz and Paul O'Neill also homer for New York. The previous record for longest game was 4:18, set in a 1962 Dodgers-Giants game.

In Cincinnati, the Pirates send the Reds to their 8th straight loss, 10–7, by scoring nine runs in the 4th inning. Jeff King hits two home runs in the deluge, including a grand slam He hit two homers in an inning last August 8, and becomes just the 4th person to accomplish that feat twice.

The host Twins score 10 runs in the 5th inning before making an out, to whip the Royals, 15–7. The highlight is Marty Cordova's bases-loaded triple.

Led by Barry Bonds' two homers, one a grand slam, the Giants rally from four runs down to top the Padres 9–4. Bonds finishes the first month with 11 home runs, tying mark for most homers in April.

Fred McGriff gets five hits to lead Atlanta to a 7-5 victory over Houston, knocking the Astros into a tie for 1st in the National League Central. Every team in the division has a record below .500.

1993
» Milwaukee's Graeme Lloyd becomes the first Australian to win a major league game by defeating the Rangers, 5-4.

1992
» The Dodgers-Phillies game in Los Angeles is postponed as a result of riots prompted by the Rodney King verdict.

1989
» The Yankees trade 23-year-old lefthander Al Leiter to the Blue Jays for OF Jesse Barfield.

1988
» Dave Winfield drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the season in New York's 15–3 rout of Texas, tying the major-league record for RBI in April.

1986
» The Mariners strike out 16 more times in a 9–4 loss to the Red Sox, setting a major-league record of 36 strikeouts in two consecutive games.

1985
» Dale Murphy drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the season in Atlanta's 8–4 win over the Reds, tying Ron Cey's 1977 record for RBI in the month of April.

1984
» In Toronto, a game is called on account of wind. Despite gusts up to 60 mph, Jays starter Jim Clancy manages to retire the first two Rangers before the umps step in and call the game. Clancy was blown off the mound several times. The two will split a twinbill tomorrow.

1983
» El Paso beats Beaumont 35–21 to break the Texas League's 80-year-old record for total runs scored in a game. A 25-mph wind blowing out to right field at El Paso's Dudley Field was a big help to hitters. The only starter on either team without an RBI was the winners' SS Ernest Riles.

1982
» Brian Fisher of Durham strikes out 20 Salem batters, including the first nine in a row, tying two Carolina League records. Durham wins, 5–3.

1980
» Kansas City's Larry Gura pitches a one-hitter against the Blue Jays for his 3rd shutout in five starts, surrendering only a 7th-inning double to Damaso Garcia. Losing pitcher Jesse Jefferson holds the Royals hitless for six 2/3 innings in the 3–0 loss.

J.R. Richard tops Reds vet Tom Seaver, 5–1, to move Houston into 1st place. Richard will lose his next three starts.

1979
» In a Carolina League game, Alexandria's Gary Pellant homers from each side of the plate in the same inning, leading a 20–7 assault over Salem.

1978
» Dave Johnson's pinch grand slam snaps a 5th inning tie with the Padres, and powers the Phils to an 11–4 win.

1977
» Ron Cey cracks a 7th-inning home run in a 6–4 Dodger win over the Expos. Cey finishes the month with a major-league record for April of 29 RBI to lead the Dodgers to a 17-3 start under new manager Tommy Lasorda.

1973
» There are no games scheduled today. Except for All-Star games and labor strikes, this won't occur again until June 29, 1998.

1971
» Oakland dazzles the Indians with a color display as Dick Green, Vida Blue, and Larry Brown score the runs in a 3–1 victory.

1970
» In a 9–2 loss to the Braves, the Cubs Billy Williams becomes the first player in NL history to play in 1,000 consecutive games.

1969
» The Reds Jim Maloney hurls his first 9-inning no-hitter, and 3rd overall. He has 13 strikeouts and Bobby Tolan drives in four runs as Cincinnati romps over Houston 10–0.

Against the Seattle Pilots, the Twins score three in the 5th to go ahead 4–0. Then with the bases loaded, they pull off a triple steal with Rod Carew swiping home for the 3rd time this month en route to a 6–4 win. The Twins will pull off two more triple steals in 1969.

1967
» San Francisco concludes its first 3-game sweep at Dodger Stadium, as Bob Bolin beats Don Drysdale 5–1.

Orioles Steve Barber and Stu Miller combine to pitch a no-hitter but lose 2–1 to the first-place Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader. Barber walks 10 in his eight 2/3 innings, but in the 9th two runs come in on a wild pitch and an error. Miller walks none. In his first start of the year, Barber held the Angels hitless for eight 1/3 innings. Just two hits today matches the American League record for fewest safeties by two clubs in one game. Three catchers are used by Baltimore, a major-league record of sorts for a no-hitter.

In a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle breaks a 1–1 tie in the 10th with a three-run homer off California reliever Minnie Rojas to give New York a 4–1 win. California takes the 2nd game 4–2 despite Mantle cracking a pinch double in the 9th inning. His hit gives him 2,215, one more than Joe DiMaggio.

Cesar Tovar's single is the only hit for the Twins against the Senators Barry Moore. Washington wins, 3–0.

1966
» Rick Reichardt hits a record-tying two home runs in the 8th inning, pacing a 16–9 California rout of Boston at Fenway. Teammate Bobby Knoop chips in with a double and home run in the same inning.

1962
» The Phils finally beat Warren Spahn, 6–4, after losing to the Braves lefty 11 games in a row.

The Braves trade Bob Buhl to the Cubs for P Jack Curtis. Buhl, coming off his first losing season since 1954, will be a solid starter over the next four years for the Cubs, winning 51 games. He also establish a ML mark as a batter going 0-for the season, going to the plate 70 times without a hit.

1961
» Frustrated by a poor start, Jackie Jensen jumps the Red Sox for eight days.

Using Joey Amalfitano's bat, Willie Mays becomes the 9th player in ML history to enjoy a 4-HR game, and his eight RBI pace the Giants to a 14–4 win at Milwaukee's County Stadium. Led by Willie's 4, the Giants total a record tying eight homers (and 13 in two games) as Orlando Cepeda (2), Felipe Alou, and Jose Pagan also homer. Willie's 6th inning homer clears the LF bleachers at County Stadium. Hank Aaron collects a pair for the Braves for all the scoring. Billy Loes is the winning pitcher, and it marks the 4th time he has been in uniform at a game where a player has hit four homers: Loes was with the Dodgers in '50 and '54 when Gil Hodges and the Braves Joe Adcock connected, and with the Orioles in '59 when Rocky Colavito collected four.

Jim Gentile, Gus Triandos, and Ron Hansen hit consecutive home runs in the 7th inning for the Orioles, as they beat Detroit 4–2 to split a twin bill. The O's had one hit in the 1st six innings off Paul Foytack. The Tigers win the opener, 8–2, after going scoreless in six innings against young Steve Barber.

Philadelphia and St. Louis tie a ML record, and set a National League mark, by using eight pinch hitters in the 8th inning. The Phils finally win in 10 innings, 11–7.

1960
» Pittsburgh has a 10-run 2nd inning in its 8th straight win, 12–7 at Cincinnati.

1958
» Ted Williams becomes the 10th ML player to get 1,000 extra-base hits. The A's beat Boston 10-4.

1955
» The Phillies trade C Smoky Burgess, P Steve Ridzik, and OF Stan Palys to the Redlegs for OF Jimmy Greengrass, C Andy Seminick, and OF Glen Gorbous. Then the Phillies buy SS Roy Smalley from the Braves.

Harvey Kuenn of the Tigers goes 5-for-5 in an 11-7 win over the Senators.

1954
» Willie Mays homers in the 14th inning off Cubs lefty Warren Hacker to give Sal Maglie and the Giants a 4–2 victory.

The Cubs purchase 1B Steve Bilko from the Cardinals for $12,500, but will let the slugger go at the end of the year. Bilko will then lead the PCL in home runs three straight years before returning to the majors.

1953
» The Little-Bigger League changes its name to the Babe Ruth League.

1952
» Before 24,767 at Ted Williams Day at Fenway Park, the Red Sox slugger plays in his final game before going to Korea as a marine fighter pilot. In his last at bat, Williams hits a game-winning 2-run HR against Detroit's Dizzy Trout to give the Red Sox a 5-3 win.

1951
» In a complex 3-way deal, the White Sox get OF/3B Minnie Minoso from the Indians and OF Paul Lehner from the Athletics. Philadelphia sends P Lou Brissie to Cleveland and gets OF Gus Zernial and Dave Philley from Chicago and P Sam Zoldak and C Ray Murray from Cleveland. Hard-luck lefty Lou Brissie is considered the plum in the proceedings. Rookie Minoso, who hit .339 at San Diego (PCL) last year is leading all Indian hitters with a .461 mark.

The Giants break an 11-game losing streak with an 8–5 win over the Dodgers. New York scores six runs in the first inning as Chris Van Cuyk lasts exactly 11 pitches before Earl Mosser, making his ML debut, takes over. After three walks, Mosser leaves for Joe Hatten, the 3rd of six pitchers. Sal Maglie wins, with relief help from Sheldon Jones.

Jim Prendergast, formerly of the Syracuse Chiefs, sues major league baseball for $150,000 to test the legality of the reserve clause. The 33-year-old lefty contends the reserve clause is monopolistic and violates anti-trust laws.

1950
» The A's are pummeled by the Red Sox in a doubleheader, 19–0 and 6–5. First-game highlights are an 11-run 4th inning and a 17-hit barrage, which includes home runs by Ted Williams (2), Vern Stephens, and Bobby Doerr. A's pitcher Bobby Shantz ends the slaughter with 4-plus innings of relief, as Joe Dobson is the winner for Boston.

At St. Louis, the Cards Del Rice belts a home run in the bottom of the 13th to break up a pitching duel between the Cubs Johnny Schmitz and Harry Brecheen. The Cards win, 1–0. Rice also has a double as Schmitz gives up just four hits and retires 20 batters in a row.

1949
» Rocky Nelson hits an "inside-the-glove" 2-run HR in short LF to turn a 9th inning 3-1 Cubs' lead into a 4-3 Cardinals' victory. Cubs CF Andy Pafko's catch is ruled a trap by umpire Al Barlick, as Pafko races in, holding the ball high as runners circle the bases.

1948
» A 5-hit game by Stan Musial at Cincinnati is the first of 4 such performances by him during the year. He will do it again on May 19, June 22, and September 22. Only Cobb and Keeler have done it before.

1947
» In Brooklyn, the Cubs top the Dodgers, 3–1. Jackie Robinson, nursing a sore right arm, is hitless and is 0-for-20 since April 23rd. He'll double tomorrow in his first at bat.

1946
» Dispelling the rumors that he had lost his fastball after nearly 4 years in the Navy, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians hurls his 2nd no-hitter, beating the New York Yankees 1-0 on Frankie Hayes's HR in the 9th inning.

1945
» P Dixie Howell, briefly with Cleveland in 1940, is liberated from a prison camp in Germany.

The Tigers swap outfielder-3B Don Ross and 2B Dutch Meyer to the Indians for Roy Cullenbine, one of the Detroit players freed by Judge Landis in 1940. Landis had specified that none of the new free agents could play for the Tigers for three years.

1944
» Before 58,000 at the Polo Grounds, the Giants pummel the Dodgers 26-8. Player/manager Mel Ott reaches base 7 times, scoring 6 runs for the 2nd time in his career, and Phil Weintraub drives in 11 runs with a homer, triple, and 2 doubles. Dodger pitchers gives up 17 walks, including 6 in a row. But the Dodgers earn a split as Hal Gregg wins the nitecap 5-4.

Elmer Gedeon, who played briefly for the Senators in the outfield in 1939, is killed in air action over France.

1942
» A month after selling veteran P Bobo Newsom, who had slipped to 12-20 record after three 20-win seasons, to Washington, the Tigers sell Schoolboy Rowe to the Dodgers. The vet will win just 2 in Brooklyn before making a comeback in Philadelphia.

1940
» Tex Carleton of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who dropped to the minors after successful hurling with the Cards and Cubs, tosses a no-hitter, blanking the Cincinnati Reds 3-0. The win is the 9th straight for Brooklyn since Opening Day, which ties a ML record. Carleton had been released by the Minneapolis Millers after the 1939 season, and Brooklyn had signed him as a free agent.

1939
» Gehrig goes hitless in four at-bats against the Senators Joe Krakauskas and is now hitting just .143. This will be the last game in his remarkable streak, though the Iron Horse makes the trip to Detroit with the team.

1938
» Aided by grand slams by Gene Moore and Harl Maggert, the Bees beat the Phillies 16-11.

Pittsburgh 3B Bill Brubaker sets a modern ML record with 4 errors in a game with Cincinnati.

1937
» Duke All-American football star Ace Parker pinch-hits a HR in his first ML at bat for the Athletics. Parker will have just one more HR on his way to a .117 average this year, but will do better on the gridiron. He will score 2 TDs for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Pittsburgh on November 21st and will eventually be elected to the Football Hall of Fame. He, thereby joins Hoyt Wilhelm and Earl Averill as one of just 3 Hall of Famers to hit a HR in their first at-bat.

After a long holdout, Dolph Camilli signs with the Phillies.

1936
» The hits keep coming for Detroit. Tigers player/manager Mickey Cochrane is hit on the right instep by a foul tip. Like yesterday, it is Jake Powell doing the damage. Powell adds insult by driving in the winning run in the 9th of Washington's 8–7 victory over the Tigers.

The A's outslug the Browns, 12–8 behind George Puccinelli's four hits. Bill Dietrich chops down Sugar Cain for the win. Browns manager Hornsby announces that he is swapping 1B Jack Burns to the Tigers for lefty Chief Hogsett and cash. Burns will take over for the injured Greenberg and hit .283.

1934
» Red Ruffing hits a HR in the 9th to defeat Washington and put the Yankees in first place.

1926
» Jess Petty wins his first 5 games, and the Dodgers go into first place.

1923
» Phils OF Fred "Cy" Williams starts an unprecedented slugging spree, going 2-for-4 in a 12-3 loss to the Braves. In 15 games in the Baker Bowl, he will accumulate 65 total bases on 11 singles, 5 doubles, 11 home runs, and 29 RBI. He will lead the NL with 41 HRs, equal to Ruth's AL top total, but his BA will drop to .293, his only sub-.300 mark during a 7-year stretch.

1922
» Johnny Mostil, fleet-footed White Sox CF, moves over to LF for the only time in his career, and makes two outstanding catches to save Charlie Robertson's 2–0 perfect game over Detroit. Robertson is the 3rd pitcher in the 20th century to pitch a perfect game. Play is stopped twice after Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann complain that Robertson is doctoring the ball. The losing pitcher is Herman Pillette, whose son Duane will pitch in the American League.

Ken Williams is homerless, but the Browns beat the Indians, 11–9, despite hitting into a triple play. Urban Shocker is the winner for St. Louis, now tied (11-5) with the Yankees for first place.

1919
» Joe Oeschger goes 20 innings for the Phils in a 9-9 tie against Brooklyn's Burleigh Grimes. Both teams score 3 in the 19th. Oeschger walks 5, gives up 22 hits. Grimes walks 5, gives up 15 hits.

1918
» Grover Alexander, 2-1 in 3 starts for the Cubs, joins the Army after receiving his draft notice on April 18th.

1917
» Pete Alexander and the Phils edge the Braves, 3–2.

1913
» Chicago's Al Bridwell ends a drought of 3,246 at bats without a homer by slugging his first ML homer, off George Suggs. He'll hit another next year in the Federal League. Al's dry spell stretches back to 1905.

In Detroit, Ty Cobb is in the lineup for the first time following his holdout, but the White Sox prevail, 6–5, in 12 innings. Ty has a single and RBI.

1908
» In the 9th inning at Boston, the Braves are tied 2-2 with the Giants. With runners on 1B and 2B, Boston's Frank Bowerman hits a Doc Crandall pitch into the stands, but is credited with only a double in the 3-2 win.

1906
» Boston C Jack O'Neill, the eldest of the four ML O'Neill brothers, suffers through a long day as the Giants rack up 10 stolen bases in beating the Beaneaters, 8-2.

1905
» Over 30,000 attend a Sunday game between the Giants and Superbas in Brooklyn. To get around the law, fans make "contributions" for admission.

At Shreveport (Southern League), Harold Smith makes a strikeout-HR against Memphis, when the catcher misses the ball and it goes into the grandstand. No ground rules limit the runner's advance.

At Evansville, IN, future ML umpire Cy Rigler begins the practice of raising his right arm to indicate strikes, so that friends in the outfield can distinguish calls.

1904
» With the score 3-1 in favor of Boston over Washington, Cy Young relieves starter George Winter with no outs in the 3rd after Winters gives up three hits in the frame. Young then tosses seven full innings of hitless ball as Boston wins, 4-1. Young has now thrown nine straight innings without a hit.

Christy Mathewson wins his 3rd, as the Giants dump Boston, 10-1. Matty is again relieved after six innings, with the score 8-0, as McGraw saves his ace.

1903
» The new American League park opens in New York with an estimated crowd of 16,000 watching the home team beat Washington 6–2. Jack Chesbro, who lost to the Nats on Opening Day, is today's winner.

1901
» At Baker Bowl, the Giants edge the Phils, 3-2, behind Christy Mathewson's 3-hitter.

At Philadelphia's Columbus Park The Boston Somersets beat the Athletics, 8-6, in 10 innings, the AL's first extra-inning game.

Thomas "Dude" Esterbrook, a star in the 1880s with the Mets, dies in a fall from a moving train. Esterbrook is on his way to a mental hospital in Middlebrook, NY when he squeezes through a lavatory window and falls to the rail bed below.

1900
» Brothers Joe, Jim, and Tom Delahanty, playing their 3rd year together with Allentown, open the Atlantic League season by banging out a family total of 11 hits for 20 bases.