2002
» Atlanta defeats Arizona, 4–1, as Braves RP John Smoltz reaches 40 saves in a season faster than any pitcher in history.

2001
» Tigers P Nate Cornejo makes his ML debut against Rangers P Joaquin Benoit. It is the first time since August 21, 1990, that both starting pitchers are making their big league debuts. The Tigers tie a modern major-league record by scoring 13 runs in the 9th inning to snap a 6–6 tie and roll, 19–6. Damion Easley gets six hits, including two in the 9th, to tie an AL and team record, last done by Ty Cobb. The Tigers tie the modern major league record, for the 9th inning, with 13 runs. The all time record for the 9th frame is 14, by the Baltimore Orioles (NL version), against Boston, on April 24, 1894. The winning pitcher is former Ranger Danny Patterson, who faces one batter in the 8th.

Rob Mitchell of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, agrees to pay $577,610 for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's famous bat, "Black Betsy." It is believed to be the highest price ever paid for a bat.

2000
» The Dodgers defeat the Cubs, 7-5, hitting four home runs (Kevin Elster, Darren Dreifort, Gary Sheffield, and Shawn Green) in the 4th inning off Chicago P Phil Norton, making his ML debut. Pitcher Darren Dreifort hits two homers in the contest for LA, becoming the first pitcher to do so since 1990. Norton also sets a record becoming the first Cub pitcher in the team's 124-year history to surrender four homers in an inning.

1999
» The Diamondbacks defeat the Phillies, 7-4, despite five hits, including a double, by OF Bobby Abreu. Arizona P Armando Reynoso wins his 7th consecutive decision. He has not lost in 17 starts, dating back to April 27.

1998
» Behind Rafael Palmeiro's 35th home run, the Orioles defeat the Twins, 6–3, despite five hits by Minnesota DH Paul Molitor. Molitor also swipes his 500th base. He's the 6th player with 500 steals and 3000 hits.

1997
» The Mariners shut out the White Sox, 5-0, on Randy Johnson's 5-hitter. Johnson fans 19 batters for the second time this season, becoming the 1st pitcher in history to ever do so.

The Mets trade OF Lance Johnson, P Mark Clark, and IF Manny Alexander to the Cubs for pitchers Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell, and OF Brian McRae. The Cubs also waive Terry Mulholland to the Giants.

The Cards end a homerless drought of 104.2 innings (as noted by Tom Ruane) when Ray Lankford and Mark McGwire hit back-to-back homers in the 3rd inning. The homerless streak is the longest of the 1990s. For McGwire, it is his first of the year as the Cards win 6–1 over the Phillies.

1996
» Eddie Murray's 494th homer moves him ahead of Lou Gehrig to 15th place on the all time list. The 2-run homer in the 6th inning breaks a tie as Baltimore beats the Brewers, 6–4.

The Rangers acquire P John Burkett (6–10) from the Marlins in exchange for P Ryan Dempster and a player to be named.

1995
» Yankees' DH Ruben Sierra drives home seven runs to lead NY to an 11-4 win over Baltimore. Sierra's three hits include a single, double and home run.

Pittsburgh's Jeff King connects for two homers in the 2nd inning, the first Pittsburgh player to homer twice in an inning since Jake Stenzel in 1894.

The Rangers acquire P Bobby Witt from the Marlins in exchange for two players to be named.

1993
» Mariners' P Brad Holman is struck in the forehead by a line drive off the bat of Texas's Mario Diaz. The Rangers win the game, 7-1, and Holman suffers a fractured sinus cavity. Ken Griffey Jr. makes an error in the contest, breaking his American League record string of 573 consecutive chances without a miscue.

Cleveland OF Albert Belle drives home two runs with a sacrifice fly as the Indians lose to Baltimore, 7-6.

1992
» Cleveland P Charles Nagy hurls a one-hitter against the Orioles, defeating Baltimore by a score of 6-0. Glenn Davis gets the only Baltimore safety.

1991
» The Detroit Tigers fan a team record 21 times in a 14-inning, 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

1990
» Pete Rose begins serving his 5-month prison sentence at Marion (IL) Federal prison camp.

1989
» Mauro Gozzo pitches eight shutout innings in his ML debut as Toronto beats Texas 7–0 to go over .500 for the first time since Opening Day. The Blue Jays will eventually overtake the surprising Orioles and win the American League East.

The Royals' Flash Gordon stops the visiting Red Sox, 8–1. Sox C Rick Cerone starts the game behind the plate, then moves to RF for the first time in his career.

1988
» The Cubs and Phillies attempt to play the first night game ever at Wrigley Field, but are rained out in the 4th inning with Chicago leading 3–1. Sandberg's home run off Kevin Gross is erased and the first Cub homer in a night game at home won't occur till Damon Berryhill hits one on August 22.

1985
» Cardinals pitcher John Tudor one-hits the Cubs 8–0 for his 6th shutout of the season, allowing only Leon Durham's 5th-inning single. Tudor started the season 1–7 but will win 20 of his last 21 decisions to finish 21–8.

Keith Hernandez has five hits in the Mets 20-hit attack as they beat the Expos, 14–7. Rick Aguilera is the winner.

1984
» The Cubs tighten their grip on first place in the National League East with a 7–6 win over the Mets at Wrigley Field, completing a 4-game series sweep. Keith Moreland leads the way with three hits and four RBIs. Hubie Brooks is 4-for-4 with four runs for New York. Davey Johnson gets tossed in the 7th after Bob Dernier gets hit by a pitch, a continuation of yesterday's beanballing. Cubs manager Jim Frey follows Johnson in the 9th when Smith throws behind George Foster.

Veteran P Don Sutton ends Milwaukee's 10-game losing streak with a 3–2 win over the Royals. Sutton also passed the 100 strikeout mark for the 19th straight season, a ML record.

1979
» Oakland's Matt Keough loses to California 8–1, running his season record to 0-14, and tying a dubious ML record. His 14 straight loses ties him for the 4th spot in the AL.

At Riverfront, Reds P Bill Bonham surrenders just two hits in beating the Braves, 3–1.

1976
» Padres rookie Butch Metzger (10-0) is credited with a 4–3 victory over the Astros, his 10th win without a defeat. With a victory in each of the past two seasons, Metzger's mark of 12–0 to start a career matches Hooks Wiltse, in 1904. Metzger will lose his last four decisions this year.

The White Sox suit up in shorts for the first game of a doubleheader with the Royals—the idea of maverick owner Bill Veeck. The shorts split, the Sox taking the opener 5–2 and losing the nightcap 7–1.

1973
» Boston DH Orlando Cepeda ties the major-league record with four doubles in a 9–4 triumph over Kansas City. Luis Tiant is the winning pitcher.

Against Texas, Yankee starter Fritz Peterson injures himself fielding a bunt single by leadoff hitter Dave Nelson and he is replaced by Fred Beene. Beene pitches nine innings, allowing four hits and winning, 3–2 on Gene Michael's 2-out single in the 9th off starter Jim Merritt.

1972
» The Yankees and New York City sign a 30-year lease on Yankee Stadium that will keep the team in the Bronx till 2002. The City agrees to spend $24 million on renovations, but the actual costs will approach $100 million.

At Riverfront Stadium, the Reds beat the Dodgers, 2–1, in 19 innings. The Dodgers use 5 pitchers and the first four (John, Brewer, Richert, and Perranoski) strike out 22 batters to tie a NL record. The 5th, Pete Mikkelson, fans no one in the defeat to Pedro Borbon. Joe Hague’s single drives in pinch runner Ted Uhlaender to end the marathon.

1971
» Behind Lee May's two homers and five RBIs, the Reds beat the visiting Montreal Expos, 6–3. His 2nd homer is a 3-run shot in the 9th.

1970
» Milwaukee reliever Dave Baldwin intentionally walks Boog Powell to load the bases and pitch to Don Buford. The Baltimore infielder promptly smacks a grand slam to give the O's a 7–4 victory over Milwaukee.

In LA, Tony Perez collects six RBIs on two homers and a single to lead the Reds to a 10–6 win over the Dodgers.

The Giants edge the Astros, 6–5, with the win going to reliever Don McMahon. Giants starter Skip Pitlock has his 1st and only ML homer (half his career hits), an inside-the-park liner off Wade Blasingame.

1969
» Hot-hitting Manny Sanguillen collects a single, double, and triple to lead the Pirates to a 7–1 win over the Padres. Sanguillen is 13-for his last-26. Bob Veale allows 11 hits but strikes out 10 for the win.

Three-run homers by Tom Tresh and Willie Horton allow the Tigers to sweep a pair from the White Sox, 7–3 and 9–7. Tresh's homer comes in the 8th inning of the Friday nitecap. Rookie of the year candidate Carlos May has two hits in the 2nd game, his last before going on weekend Army reserve duty at Camp Pendleton, California. While there, May suffers a serious injury when a mortar misfires and blows off most of his right thumb. May, hitting .281 with 18 homers, will have extensive skin grafts and surgery and will return to play 150 games and hit .285 next year. His home run output will drop to 12.

1968
» Jarry Park is grudgingly approved by Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau for interim use by the Expos. Montreal officials tell National League President Warren Giles that a new stadium will be ready by 1972.

The Cubs trip the Braves, 4–0, behind Bill Hands, with relief help from Phil Regan. Ump Chris Pelekoudas goes the mound to inspect cap and glove of the Cubs' Phil Regan. When game continues, Pelakoudas accuses Regan of three illegal pitches nullifying a fly out, a K, and changing a strike to a ball. Wrigley fans toss garbage on field. Leo Durocher, Randy Hundley, and Al Spangler get tossed as well. NL prexy Warren Giles, after a special hearing, says umps should have better evidence before calling pitches illegal.

1967
» At Crosley Field, Reds P Milt Pappas allows two hits in beating Houston, 5–0.

1966
» The Reds beat the Giants, 10–6, and Cincy OF Tommy Harper stretches his consecutive hits streak to 24 games.

The Red Sox–Cleveland game at Fenway is stopped four times because of fog. The Red Sox eventually win, 31.

1965
» Recently released by the Mets, Warren Spahn wins his 361st victory and first as a Giant. San Francisco beats the Cards 6–4.

In New York, the Cubs score six runs in the 9th inning to whip the Mets, 14–10. Chris Krug is not much help in the 9th, as the Cubbie strikes out twice. It's the first time since 1922 a Cub has K'ed twice in one inning.

The Reds show no mercy in pasting the Dodgers, 18–0 in the National League's most lopsided shutout in twenty years. Jim Maloney coasts to the win, while Don Drysdale takes the loss.

1964
» The Angels sign a contract to move to Anaheim in 1966.

1963
» Vern Law (4-5) is placed on the retired list with a sore arm. He will come back in 1964.

In the 5th inning, Frank Howard and Moose Skowron pinch-hit back-to-back home runs for the Dodgers, only the 2nd time this has ever occurred. Cub pitchers Bob Buhl and Don Elston are the victims. But the Cubs hold on to win 5–4 at Wrigley.

1961
» At Fenway, the Twins Camilo Pascual gives up an inside-the-park grand slam to Gary Geiger in the 3rd and a solo shot to Buddin in the 7th to win, 6–5. Pascual drives in his first three runs of the year to snap the Twins 8-game losing streak.

1960
» Before a day crowd of 48,323, the largest day crowd ever at Comiskey Park, cheer Billy Pierce 4-hit victory over the Yankees, 9–1. Pierce faces just 31 batters.

1954
» The Dodgers score an NL record 13 runs in the eighth off Cincinnati in Ebbets Field to win 20-8. Twelve of the runs are unearned. Gil Hodges gets a triple and a HR in the eighth, while P Clem Labine, who has a career .100 BA, walks twice.

1953
» Yankee southpaws Whitey Ford and Bob Kuzava hurl 1-0 and 3-0 shutouts against the White Sox. Kuzava gives up only Bob Boyd's double in the ninth.

1949
» Carl Furillo returns to the Dodgers' lineup after an injury and hits .431 in the final eight weeks of the season. He finishes at .322, fourth best in the league.

1948
» In Cleveland, 73,484 fans watch the Indians and Yankees square off for two games. Trailing in the opener, an ailing Lou Boudreau hits a bases loaded pinch single in the 7th to tie the game, and Satchel Paige wins it in relief, 8–6. Steve Gromek goes seven innings in the nitecap to give the Indians a 2–1 win over rookie Bob Porterfield, making his ML debut. The Indians and the A's are now tied for 1st (60-39), with the Yankees two games back and Red Sox in 4th place, two 1/2 out.

1947
» At Wrigley Field, Bill Nicholson breaks up a pitching duel between Johnny Schmitz and Ewell Blackwell with an 11th inning solo homer. The Cubs whip the Reds, 2–1. Nicholson also scores the Cubs first run, an unearned tally. Chicago helps Schmitz out with a 7th inning triple play when Len Merullo snags a liner, steps on 2B, and fires to Eddie Waitkus.

1946
» The Dreyfuss family, owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sell the club to a group headed by Frank McKinney and John Galbreath. Singer Bing Crosby is among investors in the team. The Pirates are purchased for a reported $2.5 million.

A single by Frank Hayes deprives Bob Feller of a no-hitter against the White Sox. Hayes was traded by Cleveland in June, just weeks after catching Feller's April 30th no-hitter. It it the eighth one-hitter of Feller's career. His 10 games of less than two hits better Addie Joss's old mark of 9.

1945
» The Tigers split a pair with the Red Sox, winning 5–2 before losing 7–4 in 12 innings. In the 10th frame of the 2nd game, a line drive off the bat of Detroit's Hank Greenberg fractures the head of Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Jim Wilson, necessitating a 2-hour operation. Wilson will return to pitch 11 more years, but won't win another ML game till 1951.

1942
» A bean ball salvo between Manny Salvo of the Braves and Whit Wyatt of the Dodgers ends in a 2–0 Boston victory. Only two batters are hit, but many pitches are close and the hurlers almost come to blows twice. Salvo gets fined $50 and Wyatt $75. Wyatt also tosses a bat. For Wyatt (8-1), it is his first loss after 10 straight wins over the Braves.

1940
» At Fenway, 27-year-old Tiny Bonham makes his ML debut for the Yankees and loses, 4–1, to Fritz Ostermueller. Tiny, brought up to replace the sore-armed Lefty Gomez, will still end the season at 9–3, complete 10 games, and toss three shut outs. His ERA will be 1.90.

1934
» Wilbert Robinson dies in Atlanta. Beloved as "Uncle Robbie," the jovial and bemused manager of the Dodgers for 18 seasons, his 7-for-7 day with Baltimore still stands as a major-league record.

1931
» Washington's Bobby Burke, a little-known lefthander, throws a 5–0 no-hitter against Boston. Burke will finish the year eight and 3, the best mark of his 10-year career. "Burke didn't throw more than a half dozen curves all afternoon," said plate umpire George Moriarty.

1929
» Rogers Hornsby cracks a 4th inning homer—one of his four hits—as Chicago edges the Reds 1–0 at Wrigley. Charlie Root allows seven hits in beating rookie Benny Frey.

1925
» The Giants buy righthander Fred Fitzsimmons from Indianapolis.

1924
» The Washington Potomacs of the Eastern Colored League connect for 14 consecutive hits in one inning against South Philadelphia of the Penn-Jersey League.

1922
» The Giants Shufflin’ Phil Douglas is suspended and fined $100 by John McGraw. (Douglas, an alcoholic, and McGraw did not enjoy the best of relationships after McGraw forced Douglas to undergo a terrible treatment for alcoholism.) Douglas writes a letter to St. Louis Cardinals OF Les Mann, his former roommate at Chicago, offering to disappear if they make it worth his while, lest he help McGraw win the pennant. Mann turns the letter over to Branch Rickey, who relays it to Commissioner Landis. In Pittsburgh on the 16th, Douglas admits he wrote the letter, and Landis bars him from baseball for life. Sadly, when Douglas sobered up he asked Mann to destroy the letter, but Mann had already passed it on. Douglas was 11-4 at the time, with the lowest ERA on the club (2.63).

Pittsburgh makes a major-league record 46 hits in a doubleheader against Philadelphia. Pittsburgh sweeps, winning 19-8 and 7-3. With their 27 hits in game one, and 22 the day before, a two-game major-league record (49) is set. In today's double pounding, the hitting stars are Reb Russell and Cotton Tierney, each of whom collect eight hits.

The Red Sox collect 21 hits against Cleveland at Fenway. Cleveland manager Tris Speaker retaliates by hitting two homers over the RF wall.

Tom Zachary and the Senators beat the Browns Dixie Davis, 3–1, cutting the St. Louis lead in the AL to a game.

1921
» In his first at bat, St. Louis Browns rookie Luke Stuart hits a home run, the first American League rookie to accomplish the feat. His 9th inning blast, good for two runs, comes off no less than Washington's Walter Johnson. Johnson, leading 16–3 at the time, cruises home with a 16–5 win. Stuart will play two more games and then leave the majors with this home run as his only hit. The next AL rookie to connect for a homer on his first at bat will be Earl Averill in 1929.

1919
» Casey Stengel is traded to the Phils for Possum Whitted, who will bat .389 for the Pirates in the last 35 games.

1916
» The Athletics set an AL record with their 19th loss in a row on the road. The streak began on July 25th, making it a record for losses in two weeks.

1915
» Phils OF Gavvy Cravath drives home a club-record-tying (Bransfield, 1910) eight runs on four doubles as Philadelphia wins 14–7 in Cincinnati. Two of Gavvy's doubles come with the bases loaded, a ML record, and the only time this century that someone has doubled with the sacks full twice in a game. Alexander coasts home to the win.

Hank O'Day, who managed the Cubs in 1914, returns to umpiring.

1914
» At Boston, center fielder Tris Speaker pulls off his 2nd unassisted DP of the year, this one coming against Detroit. Tiger runner Harry Heilmann is doubled off 2nd in the fourth inning when a hit-and-run play becomes a line drive to Speaker. Boston wins 5–2. Speaker had another unassisted DP on April 21 against the A's.

1913
» The Highlanders pick up 3B Fritz Maisel from Baltimore (IL) in exchange for 3B Ezra Midkiff (.197) and OF Bert Daniels (.216). Daniels will return to the majors next year with the Reds and improve his average by three points.

1911
» Bill Keen, 18, debuts with the Pirates at 1B (as noted by Retrosheet) and injures himself in the 5th running from 1B to 3B. He's replaced by a pinch runner, who breaks the 8–8 tie with the Phils, by scoring on a single. Keen makes six more pinch hit appearances this year, but never scores a major league run.

1909
» In a 3-0 Giant win at St. Louis, outfielder Bill O'Hara swipes 2B, 3B, and home in the 8th inning.

1907
» At Pittsburgh, the Giants sweep two from the Pirates, 4-3 and 7-0. Christy Mathewson wins the opener, with relief help from Joe McGinnity, and Hooks Wiltse slams the door in the nitecap. The Giants move ahead of Pittsburgh into 2nd place.

1906
» NL President Harry Pulliam upholds the forfeit to the Cubs of yesterday's Giants game, stating: "I uphold the action of the umpires absolutely, and if I am not sustained by the NL Board of Directors I will not only resign my position as President of the NL, but I will quit professional baseball forever." Giants owner John Brush then allows James Johnstone to officiate, and the Cubs win 3-2 behind Three Finger Brown and Ed Reulbach. At the month's end, the Cubs will have a 15-game lead.

1905
» Pittsburgh C Dave Brain, who hit three triples in a game for St. Louis against Pittsburgh on May 29th, repeats the performance for Pittsburgh against Boston, this time in a 10-inning game. He is the only National League player to perform the feat twice in one season.

In Chicago, the Cubs notch six hits and three runs off Dummy Taylor, but the Giants still lead 4–3 in the bottom of the 4th, when McGraw lifts the pitcher for Christy Mathewson. Matty shuts out Chicago over the last 5+ innings, but the win goes to Taylor. By today's standards the win would go to Mathewson, since Taylor did not last through the first five innings.

1904
» Christy Mathewson wins his 2nd in three days, beating St. Louis in relief, 4–3. Matty enters in the 9th, fans two of the three outs, and New York then tallies a run off Charles McFarland to win.

In Cleveland, with the Blues ahead of New York, 7–1 in the 4th, Dave Fultz and manager Griffith argue a strike call with umpire Silk O'Loughlin. When the refuse to go the bench, Silk orders a policeman to escort them off the field. Tomorrow, Silk will throw out pitcher Jack Powell and have the police escort Jimmy Williams off the field. Griffith and Williams will receive suspensions from the American League, and (according to The Year They Called Off the World Series) Highlander owner Frank Farrell vows O'Loughlin will not be allowed to enter Hilltop Park. He will, however.

1903
» An overhanging gallery atop the LF bleachers at Philadelphia's NL park collapses at 5:40 p.m. during a doubleheader with Boston, killing 12 and injuring 282. The second game is canceled and Philadelphia's remaining home games are played at the AL's Columbia Park.

Before a crowd of 31,647, "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity pitches the 2nd of three doubleheaders he will win this month, beating Brooklyn 6-1 and 4-3; he also is credited with a steal of home in the 2nd game while Brooklyn was arguing a disputed call of Iron Joe at 3B. Brooklyn P Henry Schmidt is so upset about the steal that he throws the ball out of the park, a toss that gets him tossed from the game. On August 31, Iron Joe will beat the Phillies twice. He has now done double work five times, including two losses on each of the two occasions at Baltimore in 1901. The combination of his 434 innings pitched and 31 wins, with Christy Mathewson's 366 IP and 30 wins, will make them the century's most productive one-season duo.

Furious when an old black ball is put into play when Cleveland is at bat in the last of the 11th and his objections are ignored by umpire Tommy Connolly, Blues manager Nap Lajoie hurls the ball over the grandstand, suffering the loss of the game to Detroit by forfeit. Detroit was leading 6-5.

1901
» At the Polo Grounds, the Giants and Brooklyn split two, Brooklyn winning the opener, 3-0, before losing the nitecap to Christy Mathewson, 4-1. Brooklyn threatens in the 6th, putting two on with no outs, but Matty K's Cozy Dolan, allows a single, then strikes out Tom Daly and Bill Dahlen to end the threat.