Rafael Furcal stepped up to the plate at Citizens Band Park in Philadelphia, looked at three Roy Halladay pitches, swung at the fourth, and tripled. So began 2011's tightest game and probably its most dramatic.
First Friday in October, Cardinals versus Phillies in Game 5, the deciding game of the National League Division Series. Batting second for the Cardinals, Skip Schumakerfouled off two pitches, took two wide ones and fouled off five more, then launched a fair ball into the right field corner for two bases. No one knew it yet but when Furcal touched the plate the contest was decided, because there would be no more offense.
No offense, in this game, meant maximum suspense. The team that lost would relinquish its right to compete for postseason glory. Halladay and the Phillies, having surrendered the lead almost immediately, needed desperately to ward off any more scoring. The Cardinals and starter Chris Carpenter had to make the slimmest of leads stand up. With each inning the pressure mounted as both teams threatened but neither gave in.
As Jayson Stark recapped it:
Afterward, Halladay stared into his locker for nearly a half-hour, in near-disbelief over what had just transpired. "You do everything you can," he said. "You know every pitch is going to mean something, and you're hoping we'd get back in it and overcome it. It's definitely a tough way to go."
He'd known from the first pitch that the other guy on the mound would be ready. But he couldn't possibly have known that first-inning run would reverberate not just through the rest of this night, but through the rest of this postseason and beyond. And that was because Chris Carpenter took that 1-0 lead and wouldn't let go.
ONE-RUN STANDUPS
If postgame chatter is any indication, most onlookers, like Stark, realized they had witnessed something special. It is doubtful, however, that anyone knew how unique an event it was. In 141 seasons and over 200,000 games, the entire history of major league baseball, no game had ever been played in which the first batter tripled, the second batter doubled, and no one else scored. In fact, only 117 games have been played in which the first batter scored the only run of the game.
I call this type of game a One-Run Standup. It is more than twice as rare as a no-hitter. The October 2011 game, given all that was at stake, was probably the most exciting of them all. Oddly enough, Halladay and the Phillies won the previous ORS, beating the Astros at Houston just three weeks earlier when Shane Victorino doubled to lead off the game, then scampered home when Placido Polanco singled.
History's first ORS occurred in 1880 when Providence and Boston, the National League's one-two finishers the previous season, crossed bats in Rhode Island on May 20. The rules of professional baseball originally stipulated that before each game the home team could designate which of the two teams would bat first. During the nineteenth century the home team often chose to begin the game at bat rather than in the field. By 1910 the practice had largely died out, but it was not discontinued officially until 1950.
In this game Providence chose to bat first. Center fielder Paul Hines led off the game with a base hit, then advanced to second on an error and to third on a sacrifice bunt. From that vantage point he promptly stole home on astonished Boston pitcher Tommy Bond. Bond allowed no more scoring, but John Montgomery Ward shut Boston out.
A particularly intriguing ORS was played at Washington on August 14, 1908. The Senators batted first against visiting Chicago. Leadoff batter Clyde Milan reached on an error by George Davis, the only White Sox error of the day, and made his way around the bases on a sacrifice bunt, a groundout, and a single. Ensuing was a ferocious pitching duel between 20-year-old righthander Walter Johnson and southpaw Doc White, a nine-year veteran in his prime. White led off the bottom of the ninth with Chicago's first hit of the day and stole second after Johnson retired the next batter. When Fielder Jones singled to center, White tried to score but was cut down at the plate by Milan. Davis ended the game by grounding to Bob Unglaub at second, who threw him out on what the Washington Post called "a fast play."
The fans, I'm sure, were buzzing, and it's a pity this game could not be played today. Can you imagine any of today's pitchers being allowed to bat in the bottom of the ninth with his team hitless and trailing by a run, pounding out a hit, and then stealing a base? No, I can't either. Like everything else in life, baseball changes, but it doesn't always improve.
If you think sportswriting hasn't changed, take a moment to read this account of a 1916 ORS that appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer on June 18, 1916. Its author was Jack Ryder, the former Ohio State University football coach turned scribe. The game was played at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, where the 1915 National League pennant flew. Ryder adds a refreshing measure of enthusiasm to his description of an event that was, after all, intended solely to entertain.
GROH'S HOMER WAS ONLY RUN SCORED
Heine Groh spilled Al Demaree's game for him this afternoon by shooting the ball into the left field bleachers for a home run in the opening inning of the last contest of the Eastern series. The champions spent the rest of the day in trying to overcome that one-run lead, but Fred Toney was far too strong for them, and so the Reds copped their final Eastern battle by the smallest possible score, after a brilliantly played exhibition.
Toney has been in all the hardest struggles of the trip, and the big fellow faced many difficulties and dangers. He glanced complacently at the one run scored right off the reel and settled himself to make it do for the day. His game was one of those that you read about, just like all the others he has pitched since he got to going a month ago.
If the Reds should go out and acquire a six-run lead for Toney in the first two rounds, the big fellow might blow up from the shock. No one knows what he would do in such a case, for he has never been tested. But set him out there to protect a solitary tally, or hold the enemy to a tie score until the Reds have time to win it out for him, and he is right at home. With perfect control and shooting a ball over the pan that looked about as cumbersome as a new June pea, the huge hurler breezed through the nine tough rounds without a sign of faltering. Only one Quaker succeeded in reaching third base during the matinee, and that was on an error after two men were out. Only two others got as far as second base. Toney took no chances, but kept the Quakers off the bags with great skill and an iron nerve. The big fellow has not been beaten by the Phillies since he joined the Reds last year, and he never will unless something happens to that good right wing of his. He is the master of the champions.
Toney was forced to the limit today, for Demaree, who is rushing the great [Grover] Alexander for the leadership of the Quaker pitching staff, worked wonderfully well. If Groh's long drive in the first round had not bounded into the bleacher seats after just escaping the outstretched mitts of George Whitted, the contest might have equaled the great sixteen-round battle in Boston the other day, of which Toney was the pitching hero. Demaree recovered instantly from the shock and the Reds were unable to add to their slender lead, though they tried every sort of attack. Demaree's curve ball is a beauty, and it had our boys hopping all over the shop. Even when they bunched a double and a single in the seventh they could not count a tally. Fortunately Toney was in there, and that meant that one run was plenty.
Both teams played so well that it would have been hard to distinguish the champions from the sixth placers. The fielding on both sides was very fast and smart. The feature play was [Tom] Griffith's fine running catch in the last half of the ninth round, which wound up the contest at a critical moment. The Quakers came in for their last turn at the bat determined to tie it up anyway and win it out if possible. They had the top of the batting order up and the crowd was frantic with excitement. Toney, of course, did not lose his nerve for a moment. [Dave] Bancroft, first up, went out on a short fly to Griffith. [Bert] Niehoff was conned into popping a curve ball right into [Fritz] Mollwitz's hands. There were two strikes on Milton Stock when the little fellow got hold of one and shot it on a line just over [Baldy] Louden's head and too close for Griffith to reach.
On this small field a man on base is always dangerous when you have only one run advantage, and the fans began to yell when they saw Gabby Cravath, the notorious slugger, coming up. Last year Cravath won two or three games from the Reds by home run drives in the last half of the ninth inning, and the bugs were begging him to repeat. "Toney had better not give him a good ball to hit at," remarked a wise critic in the press box. But Toney did give him one, and even two, and soon had two strikes on him. Then he got one inside the plate and just a shade too close, and it grazed the fullness of Gabby's bloomers, entitling him to wander down to first base.
This put Stock on second, where a single would send him in with the tieing tally. Whitted is a dangerous hitter, more dangerous than Cravath against first-class pitching, but Toney went right after him. With two strikes on him, Whitted hit a long liner to right center. It looked as if it might fall safe, and Stock and [Oscar] Dugey, who ran for Cravath, were beating it like mad around the bases when Tom Griffith shot into view, coming from nowhere in particular, dashed diagonally across the path of the ball, seized it as he sped on and continued without a halt on his way to the club house in center field. It was a great play to wind up a stirring contest.
These 900 words were just the beginning, as Ryder appended three more paragraphs, plus game notes, to supply every detail and nuance of the contest for 1916 readers.
THE POWER OF ONE
Pete Rose was the only player to score the run in an ORS three times. He accomplished the feat in 1963, 1971, and 1972. Ten men did it twice: Clyde Milan, Harry Hooper, George Burns, Max Flack, Hughie Critz, George Case, Maury Wills, Lou Brock, Rickey Henderson, and Darren Lewis.
Walter Johnson hurled three ORSs, winning two (in 1908 and 1915) and losing one (in 1913). Tom Glavine matched Johnson's accomplishment, losing in 1992 before winning in 1999 (in the National League Championship Series) and 2004. Twelve men pitched two ORSs: Jumbo McGinnis, Bob Groom, Harry Harper, Carl Mays, Bob Lemon, Don Wilson, Jon Matlack, Dan Spillner, Roger Clemens, Odalis Perez, Jon Garland, and Roy Halladay. McGinnis, Groom, and Lemon won twice; Harper and Wilson lost twice.
A 1941 ORS derailed the career of its leadoff hero. After rookie center fielder Pat Mullin of Detroit led off and scored what would be the game's only run against the White Sox on July 2, he came to bat again in the second inning and tapped a ground ball to the right side. Running down the line pell-mell, he collided with Chicago pitcher Bill Dietrich and wrenched his right shoulder out of its socket. Welcome to the big leagues, kid! The 23-year-old Mullin, who was hitting .345 (133 OQ), did not play again in 1941. After spending the war years as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army, Mullin rejoined the Tigers in 1946 and remained on their roster through 1953, but strictly as a corner outfielder against righthanded pitching.
A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST
I have counted only nine-inning games, no shortened games.
Each five-line synopsis includes:
Line 1: Date and time of game (if known)
Line 2: Visiting and home teams
Line 3: Each starting pitcher and the number of innings he pitched
Line 4: Leadoff batter and sequence of events that brought him around the bases
Line 5: Notes (if any)
1880 May 20 (Thursday) 1:50
Boston Red Caps at Providence Grays
Monte Ward 9 beat Tommy Bond 9
Paul Hines single, error, sac bunt, steal home
Providence batted first.
1880 September 2 (Monday, first game) 2:25
Troy Trojans at Chicago White Stockings
Larry Corcoran 9 beat Tim Keefe 9
Abner Dalrymple single, double, groundout
Chicago batted first.
1882 August 1 (Tuesday) 2:00
Cincinnati Reds at St Louis Browns
Jumbo McGinnis 9 beat Will White 9
Jack Gleason single, single, error, error
St Louis batted first.
1882 September 26 (Tuesday) 1:45
Troy Trojans at Boston Red Caps
Mickey Welch 9 beat Bobby Mathews 9
Jim Egan single, passed ball, double
1883 August 21 (Tuesday) 2:00
St Louis Browns at Baltimore Orioles
Jumbo McGinnis 9 beat Bob Emslie 9
Bill Gleason single, stolen base, error
1886 August 20 (Friday)
Philadelphia Athletics at Baltimore Orioles
Matt Kilroy 9 beat Cyclone Miller 9
Jack Manning error, error, passed ball
Baltimore batted first. Each team had just one hit.
1888 August 20 (Monday)
Brooklyn Bridegrooms at St Louis Browns
Silver King 9 beat Mickey Hughes 9
Arlie Latham single, stolen base, groundout
St Louis batted first.
1889 September 2 (Monday, second game) 1:27
Indianapolis Hoosiers at Boston Beaneaters
John Clarkson 9 beat Henry Boyle 9
Hardy Richardson home run (over the fence)
1890 September 16 (Tuesday) 1:50
St Louis Browns at Columbus Solons
Icebox Chamberlain 9 beat Billy Hart 9
Jim McTamany walk, ground ball, error, sac fly
Columbus batted first.
1897 July 8 (Thursday) 1:50
Brooklyn Bridegrooms at St Louis Browns
Harley Payne 9 beat Red Donahue 9
Mike Griffin walk, triple
1899 August 15 (Tuesday) 1:50
Cincinnati Reds at Boston Beaneaters
Jack Taylor 9 beat Jouett Meekin 9
Algie McBride single, single, single, groundout
1902 May 19 (Monday) 1:30
Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
Clark Griffith 9 beat Ed Siever 9
Sammy Strang error, sac bunt, error
1903 July 26 (Sunday, first game) 1:55
Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox
Bill Donovan 9 beat Frank Owen 9
Jimmy Barrett walk, sac bunt, passed ball, single
1904 August 4 (Thursday, second game) 1:34
St Louis Cardinals at Boston Beaneaters
Kid Nichols beat Togie Pittinger
John Farrell single, error
1908 June 18 (Thursday) 1:37
Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies
Bob Ewing 9 beat George McQuillan 9
Miller Huggins walk, single, error
1908 August 14 (Friday, first game) 1:32
Chicago White Sox at Washington Senators
Walter Johnson 9 beat Doc White 9
Clyde Milan error, sac bunt, groundout, single
Washington batted first.
1909 September 14 (Tuesday) 1:18
Brooklyn Superbas at Philadelphia Phillies
Nap Rucker 9 beat Earl Moore 9
Al Burch walk, single, sac bunt, sac fly
1910 June 20 (Monday) 1:30
Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Naps
Fred Olmstead 9 beat Cy Falkenburg 8
Rollie Zeider single, single, single, wild pitch
1911 April 21 (Friday) 1:40
Washington Senators at New York Yankees
Bob Groom 9 beat Russ Ford 8
Clyde Milan single, single, error
New York home opener.
1912 April 25 (Thursday) 2:14
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
George Suggs 9 beat Marty O'Toole 9
Bob Bescher walk, sac bunt, double
1912 September 2 (Monday, second game) 1:43
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
Joe Wood 9 beat George McConnell 9
Harry Hooper single, error, sac bunt, sac fly
1913 May 30 (Friday, second game) 1:35
Boston Red Sox at Washington Senators
Ray Collins 9 beat Walter Johnson 9
Harry Hooper home run
1913 August 16 (Saturday, first game) 1:32
St Louis Cardinals at Brooklyn Superbas
Slim Sallee 9 beat Earl Yingling 9
Miller Huggins single, single, sac fly
1915 May 11 (Tuesday) 1:48
Pittsburgh Rebels at Buffalo Blues
Clint Rogge 9 beat Fred Anderson 9
Jim Kelly home run on first pitch
1915 September 8 (Wednesday) 1:45
Washington Senators at New York Yankees
Walter Johnson 9 beat Bob Shawkey 9
Danny Moeller single, stolen base, groundout, sac fly
1915 September 12 (Sunday, first game)
Newark Peppers at St Louis Terriers
Earl Moseley 9 beat Doc Crandall 8
Vin Campbell single, single, single
1916 June 17 (Saturday) 1:55
Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies
Fred Toney 9 beat Al Demaree 8
Heinie Groh home run
1916 June 27 (Tuesday) 1:43
New York Giants at Brooklyn Robins
Jeff Tesreau 9 beat Wheezer Dell 9
George Burns walk, single, sac fly
1916 September 18 (Monday) 1:52
Washington Senators at St Louis Browns
Claude Thomas 9 beat Eddie Plank 8
Joe Leonard walk, single, sac bunt, sac fly
Thomas's only major league win.
1917 June 18 (Monday) 1:37
St Louis Browns at New York Yankees
Bob Groom 9 beat Ray Fisher 9
Burt Shotton walk, sac bunt, groundout, single
1917 June 20 (Wednesday, second game) 1:35
New York Giants at Boston Braves
Pol Perritt 9 beat Jesse Barnes 9
George Burns double, sac bunt, single
1918 June 19 (Wednesday) 1:33
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates
Phil Douglas 9 beat Bob Harmon 9
Max Flack single, single, sac fly
1918 July 13 (Saturday) 1:49
Detroit Tigers at Washington Senators
Bill James 9 beat Harry Harper 9
Donie Bush walk, sac bunt, single, single
1919 June 16 (Monday)
Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox
Stan Coveleski 9 beat Carl Mays 9
Jack Graney single, sac bunt, single
1919 July 1 (Tuesday)
New York Yankees at Washington Senators
Allen Russell 9 beat Harry Harper 8
Sammy Vick walk, single, error, sac fly
1919 July 25 (Friday)
Chicago Cubs at St Louis Cardinals
Hippo Vaughn 9 beat Bill Doak 8
Max Flack single, walk, single, double play
1919 September 7 (Sunday, first game)
Cincinnati Reds at St Louis Cardinals
Hod Eller 9 beat Ferdie Schupp 9
Morrie Rath walk, sac bunt, single, groundout
1924 May 28 (Wednesday, second game) 1:47
Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Athletics
Jack Quinn 9 beat Roy Meeker 9
Ira Flagstead home run
1925 April 17 (Friday) 1:33
Cleveland Indians at St Louis Browns
Joe Shaute 9 beat Milt Gaston 9
Charlie Jamieson walk, single, groundout
1925 September 22 (Tuesday) 1:32
St Louis Browns at Philadelphia Athletics
Joe Giard 9 beat Slim Harriss 3
Jack Tobin single, stolen base, double
1926 August 3 (Tuesday, first game) 1:38
Cincinnati Reds at Boston Braves
Carl Mays 9 beat Johnny Wertz 8
Hughie Critz single, error, sac bunt, sac fly
1928 August 11 (Saturday) 1:31
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
Red Lucas 9 beat Burleigh Grimes 9
Hughie Critz error, stolen base, sac bunt, sac fly
1928 September 1 (Saturday) 1:13
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds
Sheriff Blake 9 beat Ray Kolp 9
Woody English single, single, sac fly
1928 September 28 (Friday) 1:24
Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Indians
Jack Russell 9 beat Wes Ferrell 9
George Loepp triple, groundout
Ferrell's second major league start.
1929 August 17 (Saturday) 1:24
Boston Red Sox at St Louis Browns
Danny MacFayden 9 beat Lefty Stewart 8
Bobby Reeves home run
1930 April 26 (Saturday) 1:25
Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs
Benny Frey 9 beat Hal Carlson 8
Marty Callaghan walk, sac bunt, single
1930 September 7 (Sunday, first game) 1:43
Philadelphia Phillies at Boston Braves
Phil Collins 9 beat Ed Brandt 9
Fred Brickell single, walk, error, sac fly
1931 September 17 (Thursday, first game) 1:35
Boston Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates
Tom Zachary 9 beat Bill Harris 9
Lance Richbourg single, single, sac bunt, sac fly
1932 June 19 (Sunday) 1:46
New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox
Johnny Allen 9 beat Sam Jones 9
Earle Combs walk, walk, single
1933 June 2 (Friday, second game) 1:42
Cleveland Indians at St Louis Browns
Mel Harder 9 beat Bump Hadley 9
Dick Porter double, double
1934 June 7 (Thursday) 1:41
Brooklyn Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies
Emil Leonard 9 beat George Darrow 9
Len Koenecke home run
Koenecke injured leg in third and had to leave the game.
1936 June 25 (Thursday, first game) 1:29
Chicago Cubs at Boston Bees
Big Bill Lee 9 beat Tiny Chaplin 8
Stan Hack walk, groundout, single
1937 July 30 (Friday) 2:03
Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds
Wayne LaMaster 9 beat Al Hollingsworth 8
Earl Browne walk, groundout, groundout, single
1940 June 21(Friday) 1:47
Washington Senators at St Louis Browns
Sid Hudson 9 beat Vern Kennedy 9
George Case single, stolen base, single
1941 July 2 (Wednesday) 2:01
Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox
Bobo Newsom 9 beat Bill Dietrich 8
Pat Mullin single, sac bunt, double
Mullin dislocated shoulder in second.
1943 June 12 (Saturday) 1:41
Washington Senators at Boston Red Sox
Milo Candini 9 beat Yank Terry 9
George Case walk, stolen base, flyout, single
1946 June 2 (Sunday, second game) 2:07
Brooklyn Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds
Art Herring 5 beat Johnny Hetki 8
Eddie Stanky walk, groundout, single
1946 June 24 (Monday) 2:05
New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
Floyd Bevens 9 beat Allie Reynolds 8
Phil Rizzuto single, single, sac fly
1948 July 11 (Sunday) 1:44
Cincinnati Reds at St Louis Cardinals
Ken Raffensberger 9 beat Al Brazle 8
Johnny Wyrostek triple, groundout
1948 August 18 (Wednesday) 2:15
Brooklyn Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies
Rex Barney 9 beat Robin Roberts 8
Marv Rackley single, groundout, walk, error, wild pitch
1953 September 15 (Tuesday) 2:06
Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
Bob Lemon 9 beat Steve Kraly 8
Al Smith walk, single, strikeout, single
Kraly's fifth and last major league game.
1954 May 14 (Friday) 2:27
Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies
Art Fowler 9 beat Murry Dickson 9
Bobby Adams single, sac bunt, single
1954 May 31 (Monday, first game) 2:00
Washington Senators at New York Yankees
Johnny Schmitz 9 beat Whitey Ford 8
Eddie Yost single, error, groundout, single
1955 July 8 (Friday) 2:25
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox
Bob Lemon 8 beat Billy Pierce 8
Al Smith single, sac bunt, groundout, double
1961 June 8 (Thursday, first game) 2:21
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
Jim Perry 7 beat Don Mossi 7
Johnny Temple double, double
1963 June 28 (Friday) 2:02
Milwaukee Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers
Warren Spahn 9 beat Don Drysdale 9
Lee Maye single, walk, single, sac fly
1963 September 2 (Monday, second game) 2:12
Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets
Jim Maloney 9 beat Jay Hook 9
Pete Rose home run on first pitch
Labor Day doubleheader.
1964 April 26 (Sunday) 2:04
Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Braves
Phil Ortega 9 beat Bob Sadowski 8
Maury Wills single, walk, sac bunt, sac fly
1968 September 25 (Wednesday) 2:32
Boston Red Sox at Washington Senators
Ray Culp 9 beat Jim Hannan 0.2
Mike Andrews single, single, single
Last home game of the season.
1969 May 23 (Friday) 2:11
St Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
Steve Carlton 9 beat Alan Foster 8
Lou Brock single, stolen base, groundout, single
1969 June 12 (Thursday) 1:58
Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
Grant Jackson 9 beat Bill Singer 9
John Briggs home run
1969 September 11 (Thursday) 2:25
Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros
Claude Osteen 9 beat Don Wilson 9
Maury Wills double, error, double
1971 June 16 (Wednesday) 1:54
Cincinnati Reds at St Louis Cardinals
Don Gullett 9 beat Al Santorini 8
Pete Rose single, groundout, single
1971 July 18 (Sunday, first game) 1:52
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
Ken Reynolds 9 beat Don Wilson 8
Denny Doyle single, single, single
Reynolds' only shutout and second of 7 major league wins.
1972 May 19 (Friday) 2:12
Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres
Jim McGlothlin 9 beat Clay Kirby 8
Pete Rose single, walk, groundout, sac fly
1972 June 18 (Sunday) 2:13
San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates
Steve Arlin 9 beat Bruce Kison 8
Jerry Morales double, groundout, groundout
1972 July 14 (Friday, second game) 2:37
Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees
Blue Moon Odom 6.1 beat Mike Kekich 7
Bert Campaneris double, double
1972 August 11 (Friday) 2:01
Chicago White Sox at Oakland Athletics
Dave Lemonds 6.2 beat Catfish Hunter 8
Pat Kelly single, stolen base, single
1973 April 18 (Wednesday) 2:38
Chicago Cubs at New York Mets
Ray Burris 5 beat Jon Matlack 9
Cleo James single, stolen base, sac bunt, wild pitch
1973 April 28 (Saturday) 2:12
San Francisco Giants at St Louis Cardinals
Jim Willoughby 9 beat Reggie Cleveland 8
Bobby Bonds home run
1973 August 25 (Saturday) 2:09
San Francisco Giants at New York Mets
Tom Bradley 9 beat Tom Seaver 8
Gary Matthews single, sac bunt, single
1973 September 7 (Friday, first game) 2:43
New York Mets at Montreal Expos
Jon Matlack 8.2 beat Steve Renko 6
Wayne Garrett home run
1974 June 19 (Wednesday) 2:14
San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs
Dan Spillner 9 beat Jim Todd 8
Bobby Tolan single, sac bunt, flyout, error
1974 August 23 (Friday) 2:01
Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants
Rick Reuschel 9 beat Jim Barr 7
Don Kessinger double, groundout, groundout
1975 June 23 (Monday, first game) 2:23
St Louis Cardinals at New York Mets
Ron Reed 9 beat Hank Webb 8
Lou Brock walk, stolen base, stolen base, single
1977 July 25 (Monday) 2:14
New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers
Craig Swan 9 beat Doug Rau 7
Lenny Randle single, single, double
1981 April 12 (Sunday) 2:14
Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins
Steve McCatty 9 beat Pete Redfern 7
Rickey Henderson double, sac bunt, single
1981 May 30 (Saturday) 2:29
New York Yankees at Cleveland Indians
Gene Nelson 5.2 beat Dan Spillner 9
Willie Randolph single, single, groundout
1982 September 12 (Sunday) 2:11
Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers
Bob Stoddard 8.1 beat Mike Smithson 3
Joe Simpson single, stolen base, sac bunt, double
1983 April 9 (Saturday) 2:15
Pittsburgh Pirates at Houston Astros
Larry McWilliams 9 beat Joe Niekro 9
Lee Lacy walk, stolen base, error, passed ball
1983 August 15 (Monday) 2:40
Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees
Britt Burns 9 beat Dave Righetti 9
Dave Stegman walk, balk, single, sac fly
1984 April 27 (Friday) 2:31
Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals
Doyle Alexander 9 beat Mark Gubicza 8
Damaso Garcia single, groundout, error, groundout
1986 June 2 (Monday) 2:50
Texas Rangers at Chicago White Sox
Charlie Hough 8.1 beat Joe Cowley 9
Oddibe McDowell walk, sac bunt, double
1987 August 15 (Saturday) 2:25
Chicago White Sox at Toronto Blue Jays
Rich Dotson 9 beat Jim Clancy 8
Ozzie Guillen walk, stolen base, groundout, groundout
1988 August 21 (Sunday) 2:36
Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Pete Smith 9 beat Mike Bielecki 7
Terry Blocker walk, single, sac fly
1989 May 24 (Wednesday) 3:02
Montreal Expos at San Francisco Giants
Kevin Gross 9 beat Don Robinson 7
Tim Raines walk, stolen base, error, sac fly
1990 April 29 (Sunday) 3:01
Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox
Dave Stewart 7.2 beat Roger Clemens 7
Ricky Henderson walk, groundout, single
1990 September 25 (Tuesday) 2:02
St Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies
Joe Magrane 7 beat Terry Mulholland 9
Bernard Gilkey triple, sac fly
1991 June 6 (Thursday) 2:40
Los Angeles Dodgers at St Louis Cardinals
Bobby Ojeda 7.1 beat Ken Hill 8
Brett Butler single, single, sac fly
1991 June 12 (Wednesday) 2:11
Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians
Mike Timlin 6 beat Tom Candiotti 9
Devon White walk, groundout, single
The first of Timlin's 4 major league starts.
1991 August 7 (Wednesday) 2:44
San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves
Bud Black 8 beat Charlie Leibrandt 7
Darren Lewis home run
Lewis's first major league home run.
1992 June 19 (Friday) 2:21
Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins
Dave Fleming 9 beat Kevin Tapani 8.1
Greg Briley home run
1992 July 18 (Saturday) 2:32
Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins
Roger Clemens 9 beat Scott Erickson 9
Billy Hatcher double, groundout, single
1992 September 30 (Wednesday) 2:34
San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves
Jeff Brantley 5.1 beat Tom Glavine 7
Darren Lewis single, stolen base, wild pitch, sac fly
1994 July 27 (Wednesday) 2:52
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers
Pat Mahomes 6.2 beat John Dettmer 7.1
Chuck Knoblauch double, single, groundout
1997 April 10 (Thursday) 2:33
Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs
Alex Fernandez 9 beat Frank Castillo 8
Luis Castillo single, stolen base, sac bunt, single
1999 October 15 (Friday) 3:04
Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
Tom Glavine 7 beat Al Leiter 7
Gerald Williams walk, error, stolen base, error
Game 3, National League Championship Series.
2002 June 22 (Saturday) 2:29
New York Yankees at San Diego Padres
Ted Lilly 9 beat Jake Peavy 6
Alfonso Soriano double, double
Peavy's first major league game.
2002 July 12 (Friday) 3:09
Oakland Athletics at Baltimore Orioles
Tim Hudson 7 beat Jason Johnson 7
Mark Ellis double, fly out, single
2002 September 24 (Tuesday) 2:24
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers
Dennis Stark 7 beat Odalis Perez 8
Gabe Kapler single, stolen base, single
2004 May 12 (Wednesday) 2:28
New York Mets at Arizona Diamondbacks
Tom Glavine 7.2 beat Randy Johnson 7
Kaz Matsui home run
2004 May 13 (Thursday, first game) 2:27
Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox
Daniel Cabrera 6 beat Jon Garland 7
Brian Roberts single, stolen base, error, single
Cabrera's first major league game.
2005 July 21 (Thursday) 2:29
Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies
Odalis Perez 7 beat Jon Lieber 8
Oscar Robles double, sac bunt, double
2010 August 17 (Tuesday) 2:41
San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs
Jon Garland 7 beat Randy Wells 7
Jerry Hairston single, walk, hit by pitch, ground out
2011 September 7 (Wednesday) 2:47
New York Mets at Florida Marlins
R.A. Dickey 7 beat Brad Hand 6
Jose Reyes single, double
2011 September 14 (Wednesday) 2:06
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
Roy Halladay 9 beat Bud Norris 7
Shane Victorino double, single
2011 October 7 (Friday) 2:29
St Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies
Chris Carpenter 9 beat Roy Halladay 8
Rafael Furcal triple, double
Game 5, National League Division Series.
HOW THE LEADOFF BATTER REACHED BASE:
Single 51
Walk 30
Double 14
Home run 14
Triple 4
Error 4
Strikeout 0
Hit by pitch 0
Interference 0
Other 0
HOW THE RUN SCORED:
Single 33
Sac fly 24
Double 16
Home run 14
Ground out 14
Error 8
Wild pitch 3
Passed ball 2
Triple 1
Double play 1
Stolen base 1
Hit by pitch 0
Sac bunt 0
Walk 0
Balk 0
Interference 0
Other 0
A tip of the hat to Bob Tiemann for his invaluable research assistance.
April 2012
