Linescore Fun: Cubs Score 47 Runs In Three-Game Sweep, D-Backs Win With One Baserunner, And The Seven Home Teams That Have Scored Five Runs In An Extra Inning

The Cubs scored 47 runs in a three-game sweep of the Pirates: 17-8, 14-1, 16-6. That set a modern-era franchise record for a three-game series. Back on July 23-25, 1894, the Colts (as they were then called) 48 runs against the Pirates (!): 6-14, 18-11, 24-6. (Yes, they lost the first game.)

Pirates - 400 030 010 -  8 13  0
Cubs    - 505 070 00x - 17 16  3
  
Pirates - 000 100 000 -  1  8  0
Cubs    - 041 233 10x - 14 14  0
  
Pirates - 005 100 000 -  6 14  1
Cubs    - 305 221 21x - 16 19  1

The Cubs scored in 13 of their final 15 innings of the series. (Also, the Pirates led in two of the three games, though, admittedly, not for very long in both cases.) The Cubs also set a new team record with 14 home runs in a three-game series (previous mark: 12, in 1998).

The 2019 Cubs became the fifth team since 1900 to score at least 14 runs in three consecutive games:

1901 Pirates

September 5 at Giants (G1): 15-1
September 5 at Giants (G2): 15-7
September 6 at Giants (G1): 15-2

These three games were in the middle of Pittsburgh's six-game sweep of the Giants (three doubleheaders in three days): 12-6, 10-3, 15-1, 15-7, 15-2, 13-4.

1928 Pirates

August 2 at Phillies: 18-4
August 3 at Phillies: 14-6
August 4 at Phillies (G1): 14-8

The Pirates also won Game 2 on August 4: 11-4.

1930 Cubs

June 1 vs Pirates: 16-4
June 3 at Boston: 15-2
June 4 at Boston: 18-10

Before the win on June 1, the Cubs had walked off in their last two games, beating the Cardinals 9-8 in 10 innings and then 6-5. After these three games, they beat Boston again, 10-7 on June 5 and then headed to Brooklyn, winning 13-0 on June 6.

1993 Tigers

August 10 vs Orioles: 15-1
August 11 vs Orioles: 15-5
August 12 vs Orioles: 17-11

In the first month of 1993, the Tigers scored 20 runs twice within four games (April 13 and 17) and scored 12+ runs in three straight games, beating the Twins 12-4, 17-1, and 16-5 (April 23-25).

On September 14, the Diamondbacks beat the Reds 1-0, despite putting only one man on base. Nick Ahmed led off the third with a triple (a chopper over the third baseman that rolled semi-slowly down the left field line) and scored on the next pitch, Jarrod Dyson's sac fly.

According to Elias Sports, it was the first time in the modern era (since 1900) that a team won in nine or more innings despite having only one baserunner. The Reds could not score despite three hits, two walks, and one Arizona error.

Reds         - 000 000 000 - 0  3  0
Diamondbacks - 001 000 00x - 1  1  1

Last week, when the Astros beat the Mariners 21-1 (Sunday the 8th) and Athletics 15-0 (Monday the 9th), it was the first time a major league team had won two consecutive games, each by 15+ runs, since June 17-18, 1953, when the Red Sox routed the Tigers 17-1 and 23-3.

In the later game, the Red Sox set a major league record by scoring 17 runs in one inning. Before these two games, the Red Sox had scored only five runs in their last four games, and had been shutout twice.

Tigers  - 000 000 001 -  1  5  2
Red Sox - 220 710 05x - 17 20  2
  
Tigers  - 000 201   0 00 -  3  7  5
Red Sox - 030 002 (17)1x - 23 27  0

B7: Red Sox ahead 5-3, Steve Gromek pitching:

Sammy White singles to center.
Gene Stephens singles to right, White to third.
Stephens steals second.
Tom Umphlett singles to left, White scores, Stephens scores (7-3).
Johnny Lipon strikes out.
George Kell doubles to left, Umphlett to third.
Billy Goodman walked intentionally.
Jim Piersall singles to center, Umphlett scores, Kell scores, Goodman to third (9-3).
Dick Gernert homers, Goodman scores, Piersall scores, Gernert scores (12-3).
Ellis Kinder singles to right.
White walks, Kinder to second.
Dick Weik replaces Gromek.
Wild pitch, Kinder to third, White to second.
Stephens doubles to center, Kinder scores, White scores (14-3).
Umphlett walks.
Lipon singles to left, Stephens scores, Umphlett to second (15-3).
Kell flies out to left.
Goodman singles to right-center, Umphlett scores, Lipon to second (16-3).
Earl Harrist replaces Weik.
Ted Lepcio pinch-runs for Goodman.
Al Zarilla pinch-hits for Piersall.
Zarilla walks, Lipon to third, Lepcio to second.
Gernert walks, Lipon scores, Lepcio to third, Zarilla to second (17-3).
Kinder singles to center, Lepcio scores, Zarilla scores, Gernert to third (19-3).
White singles to center, Gernert scores, Kinder to second (20-3).
Stephens singles to right, Kinder scores, White to third (21-3).
Umphlett singles to left, White scores, Stephens to second (22-3).
Lipon walks, Stephens to third, Umphlett to second.
Kell flies out to left.
17 runs, 14 hits, 6 walks, 3 runners left on base.

The Red Sox went 15-for-27 with runners in so-called "scoring position" in that game! Also, in the next inning, the first three Red Sox (Lepico, Zarilla, Gernert) singled. This game also featured a blown save by Boston reliever Ellis Kinder, who allowed the Tigers to tie the game 3-3 in the sixth. Kinder pitched the final four innings and got the 'win'.

Jere brought last night's Tigers/Orioles linescore to my attention: "The rarest of extra innings, that 4-run difference. But even rarer when it's 5-1, not 4-0. Can't remember the last time I saw that."

Orioles - 000 000 030 001 - 4 10  0
Tigers  - 001 010 001 005 - 8 13  1

After checking B-Ref's Play Index, I reported: "A home team has won in extra innings by four runs 87 times since 1908. I'll bet more a few are not simply a '4'."

I looked at those 87 linescores today. Three of the games were by a 4-0 score. Two went 10 innings and one went 12 innings (that was the Red Sox beating Cleveland on April 11, 1962; Yaz led off the B12 with a triple; after two intentional walks, Carroll Hardy belted a grand slam.)

Here are the seven extra-inning games that ended with a 1/5. There has never been an extra inning other than 0/4 or 1/5 (at least as far back as 1908 ... so who knows?).

July 28, 1951

Cleveland    - 000 000 110 000 001 1 - 4 11  0
Red Sox      - 200 000 000 000 001 5 - 8 16  2

June 2, 1952

White Sox    - 000 010 000 1 - 2  8  0
Red Sox      - 000 000 100 5 - 6  9  1

May 4, 1961

Dodgers      - 000 210 101 1 -  6  9  2
Milwaukee    - 010 000 121 5 - 10 13  2

June 15, 1985

Cleveland    - 100 001 000 000 1 - 3 10  2
Angels       - 000 001 001 000 5 - 7 13  2

April 18, 1987

Mets         - 013 100 002 1 -  8 11  1
Cardinals    - 000 501 001 5 - 12 14  0

May 9, 2000

Dodgers      - 302 010 000 001 -  7 15  0
Diamondbacks - 210 000 210 005 - 11 15  0

May 13, 2009

Tigers       - 000 212 400 000 1 - 10 14  1
Twins        - 201 103 020 000 5 - 14 17  0