Since the Red Sox lost to the Rockies way back on June 24, the team has won 31 of 36 games, a streak that includes a franchise-tying 15-game winning streak. It is the best 36-game stretch in team history.
Boston is 17-0 against first-place teams in that span, and is the first team to record six sweeps of first-place teams in one season since divisional play began in 1969 – and they accomplished that feat over only six weeks.
June 25-28: Swept 4 games from first-place Yankees July 7-9: Swept 3 games from first-place White Sox July 17-19: Swept 4 games from first-place Rays July 31-August 2: Swept 3 games from first-place Dodgers August 4-6: Swept 3 games from first-place White Sox
The Red Sox have won nine straight series, the second-longest streak in team history; the 1912 team won 11 consecutive series from August 4 to September 15, 1912.
Boston has won its last 28 games in which they score at least four runs. And the Red Sox have won 26 of their last 29 games, something only three other teams have accomplished in the last 73 seasons (1977 Royals, 2002 Athletics, 2017 Clevelands).
Boston's record stands at 63-51; they are five games behind Tampa Bay and a mere half-game behind the Yankees. While Boston has gone 31-5, the Rays have gone 24-15 (third best in MLB). A 63-51 record would easily lead both the AL Central (by four games) and AL West (by five games).
After games of June 24: 1st Yankees (48-31), 15.5 GA of 5th Red Sox (32-46) After games of August 6: 2nd Yankees (64-51), 0.5 GA of 3rd Red Sox (63-51)
Since June 24, the Red Sox are fifth in MLB in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage and third in runs scored. Before their hot streak started, they were projected to have a 9% chance of making the postseason. Those odds now stand at 96.1%, with a 15.3% chance of winning the pennant and a 7% chance of winning the World Series.
J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) states: "The Red Sox are the 26th team in the World Series Era (1903-present) to go 30-5 or better in a 35-game stretch. Each of the other 25 made the Postseason (10 of them won the World Series)."
Boston's 12-11 victory last night at Fenway (against the AL-Central leading White Sox) was the most impressive victory in [fill in the blank] years:
Chicago White Sox – 004 120 000 211 0 – 11 13 1 Boston Red Sox – 002 301 001 211 1 – 12 16 2
I've loved looking at linescores for all sorts of oddities for nearly a half-century, and it fuckin kills me that I can no longer enjoy extra-inning linescores because Commissioner Asshole Motherfucker decided that one of the most foundational rules of the game should suddenly change – for no meaningful or logical reason and no observable or measurable benefit – if there is a tenth (or later) inning. It means I can't fully enjoy the Red Sox's linescore above, or this minor league game from roughly a month ago (July 4):
Great Lakes - 000 300 020 121 21 - 12 17 3 Fort Wayne - 120 000 000 121 22 - 13 15 1
If this had happened when all innings were created equal, it would be mind-blowing. Instead, it's a cute curiosity.
The quote in the post title comes from Reddit: "This team is biologically incapable of losing. I have no idea what happened to them."
The Albuquerque Isotopes scored in all nine innings on Wednesday, routing the El Paso Chihuahuas 21-10, in a Pacific Coast League game.
Brendan Samson (mlb.com) wrote: "In addition to hanging crooked numbers in all nine frames, the Isotopes also became the 21st full-season MiLB team to score 20 runs in a game this year."
Is 1 considered a "crooked" number? . . . I have not taken a survey, but I don't think so.
Albuquerque had only two zeroes in the traditional box score combo of AB-R-H-RBI. Amazingly, El Paso had only two, as well. (Brooks singled, at least.)
On Wednesday, September 9, 2009, Laura and I were at a PCL playoff game in Albuquerque. I caught a foul ball and we saw a somewhat confusing triple play. Two days ago was the — holy fuckballs — the 16th anniversary of that evening. How is that even possible?
(Alternative Outlook: That night was so long ago, I had seen the Red Sox win only two World Series Championships. ONLY TWO!)
More PCL Linescore Fun: A little over a month ago, on August 7, 2025, the Salt Lake Bees scored in all eight innings, edging past the visiting Las Vegas Aviators 15-12.
Anthony, who turned 21 in May, made his debut on June 9. In 47 games, he's slashing .276/.392/.417 for an .809 OPS (126+ OPS, 5th best on the team). His .392 on-base is tops on the team.
The extension will begin with the 2026 season and includes escalators that could bring the overall value up to $230 million. The deal includes a 2034 club option for $30 million, as well as escalators for a 1st or 2nd place Rookie of the Year finish, MVP finish (1st-10th) and All-Star selections . . .
Anthony hit .329/.452/.494/.946 in July. He debuted with #48, but now wears #19.
Note: Anthony was born on May 13, 2004. The Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays and I posted some proto-MUMS.
Nicknames were all the rage during this blog's gamethread heyday, roughly 2007-2011. Most nicknames "these days" (and back then, also) lack even a dash of creativity; slap a "y" to the player's last name or a section thereof and that's it. Those probably shouldn't even be called "nicknames". The Red Sox have a pair of brothers in the minor leagues with excellent (and connected) nicknames.
Worcester (AAA)'s Jhostynxon Alirio Garcia, known as "The Password". B-Ref offers this pronounciation tip: \JOES-tin-son\. Johanfran Garcia, his younger brother (by two years), is currently with Greenville (High A) and has been dubbed "The Username".
Way back on April 16, I saw a crazy pitching line, hit Baseball Reference's amazing Stathead, and (as I sometimes do) emailed the oddity-obsessed Stark:
You'll probably hear this elsewhere, but Luis Cessa (3-14-11-3-0, 88 vs the Reds today) is the FIRST pitcher since at least 1900 to allow 11+ runs, 14+ hits, and get 9 or fewer outs.
How is it possible no one did that before? Ralph Comstock allowed 12 runs and 14 hits in 1913 but he lasted 3.1 innings!
Stark has a good filing system – although being more organized than I am would not take much effort, planning, or thought – because this appeared more than eight months later in one of his year-end wrap-ups:
— Causing Chaos on this site is fun (@PeytonSchmidt2) April 9, 2023
On Saturday, April 8, the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Chattanooga Lookouts (AA teams) played their second game of the season . . . and produced a unique linescore:
In baseball, it seems, all things are (eventually) possible.
Rocket City starter Coleman Crow threw six solid innings, walking two and striking out six. Ben Joyce came in for the top of the seventh. His task? Get three outs and nail down his team's 3-0 win . . . and finish the combined no-hitter, if possible. Well, Joyce (with help from Eric Torres) did one of those things – but not the one you'd expect.
Chattanooga trails 0-3.
Ben Joyce (bbbcb) walks.
Allan Cerda (bbbcb) walks, Joyce to second.
Nick Quintana pops out to second (infield fly rule).
Daniel Vellojin (bbbcb) walks, Hinds to third, Cerda to second.
James Free pinch-hits for Quincy McAfee. Free (css) strikes out swinging.
Jacob Hurtubise (bbbb) walks, Hinds scores (1-3), Cerda to third, Vellojin to second.
Ilvin Fernandez pinch-runs for Vellojin.
Jose Torres (cfb) safe at second on CF error. Cera scores (2-3). Fernandez scores (3-3). Hurtubise scores (4-3).
Eric Torres relieves Joyce.
Noelvi Marte hit by pitch.
Ivan Johnson (c) hit by pitch, Marte to second.
Hinds (scbf) hit by pitch, J. Torres scores (5-3), Marte to third, Johnson to second.
Cerda (bbbb) walks, Marte scores (6-3), Joihnson to third, Hinds to second.
Wild pitch by E. Torres, Johnson scores (7-3), Hinds to third, Cerda to second.
Quintana (cbbbfff) hit by pitch.
Fernandez (ffb) strikes out swinging.
7 runs, 0 hits, 5 walks, 4 hit batsmen, 1 wild pitch, 3 left on base, 14 batters.
IP H R ER BB K
Crow 6.0 0 0 0 2 6 79 pitches, 52 strikes (WP) Joyce 0.2 0 5 1 4 1 27 pitches, 10 strikes Torres 0.1 0 2 2 1 1 24 pitches, 11 strikes (4 HBP, WP)
According to milb.com's strike zone tracker, only two pitches in the half-inning were incorrectly called, both of them early, before the Lookouts had loaded the bases for the first time.
The Pandas scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and brought the potential winning run to the plate with one out, but the next two batters struck out. The game was only seven innings because it was the first game of a double header.
Believe it or not, it's not the first time a team has lost a no-hitter and given up seven runs. According to this report: "The only other known occasion came on August 31, 1948, when the Wellsville Red Sox no-hit the Lockport Reds in a 7-3 loss in PONY League play."
I found the linescore of that 1948 game in the Bradford (Penn.) Era. The game went 11 innings! (The PONY League included teams from Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York. It was a Class D league and existed for 18 years (1939-56).)
Lockport - 030 000 000 04 - 7 0 4 Wellsville - 100 000 200 00 - 3 9 5 Bell and Scheffel; Blackmore, Clark (11) and Ross.
The Associated Press reported:
The league-leading Lockport Reds of the Class D PONY League went hitless in an 11-inning game with the Wellsville Red Sox last night but won 7-3.
The Reds scored three runs in the third on five walks and an error. The Sox deadlocked the game in the seventh 3-3. In the 11th, the Reds pushed across four more runs on four errors, three walks, a fielder's choice and a hit batsman.
A brief report in The Sporting News included the AP's recap of how the runs scored and added this tidbit: Wellsville pitcher Lou Blackmore "issued 17 bases on balls to ruin his no-hit bid". Thanks to the batteries listed in the linescore, we know Blackmore pitched at least 10 innings, possibly into the 11th!
Back in 2023, Rocket City rebounded and won the nightcap 3-0 (their first win of the season), allowing only one hit, a leadoff double in the second inning. The Pandas also lost a tough one on Opening Night:
Mike Petriello (MLB.com) reports that Yordan Alvarez's ninth-inning, game-winning three-run homer, which gave the Astros an 8-7 win over the Mariners on Tuesday in ALDS Game 1, "the most valuable postseason moment a position player has ever had", as measured by Win Probability Added.
When Alvarez stepped to the plate in the ninth inning, Seattle's win probability was 91%. That's based on the history of road teams who were ahead by two runs with two outs and two on in the ninth inning, as the Mariners were. . . .
If Seattle's odds were 91% when the pitch left Robbie Ray's hand, then by the time Alvarez's blast landed 438 feet away, their odds of winning were 0%, because the game was over. Houston was at 100% – again, the game was over! – up from 9%. Just look at the chart. You get the idea. Look at that absolute cliff at the end.
+91% – Yordan Alvarez, Astros, Home run, ALDS Game 1, 2022
+87% – Kirk Gibson, Dodgers, Home run, World Series Game 1, 1988
+83% – Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, Double, NLCS Game 4, 2009
+83% – Brett Phillips, Rays, Single, World Series Game 4, 2020
+83% – Cookie Lavagetto, Dodgers, Double, World Series Game 7, 1947
Every other player on this list had their team down by one run with two outs, not two runs; every other team that had odds so low came back with multiple plays, not one. As MLB.com's Sarah Langs noted, there had been only four walk-off homers when trailing in postseason history, and only two of those four came with two outs, and only Alvarez's also came while behind multiple runs. He now stands alone in history.
Alvarez was also responsible for the second-most impactful play of the game. His two-run double in the third inning cut Seattle's from 4-0 to 4-2, improving the Astros's chances of winning from 15% to 30%, so he gets credit for 15% on that play.
Alvarez also threw out a runner at the plate, cutting a Seattle rally short and ending the fourth inning – but WPA concerns hitters only. The Mariners' fourth inning went: K, K, HR, 3B, 2B, 1B. (A downward cycle?)
Add up (or subtract) the differences in Win Probability Added before and after each of Alvarez's five plate appearances –
B1: P5 - 1%
B3: Double + 15%
B5: 4-3 - 1%
B8: Single + 2%
B9: Home Run + 91%
+105.4% – Yordan Alvarez, Astros, ALDS Game 1, 2022
+ 96.4% – David Freese, Cardinals, World Series Game 6, 2011
+ 87.0% – Kirk Gibson, Dodgers, World Series Game 1, 1988
+ 85.4% – Steve Garvey, Padres, NLCS Game 4, 1984
How can a player's WPA be more than 100%? Petriello explains:
[W]in probability can go up and down as a game goes along . . . many other Astros (notably starter Justin Verlander, who allowed six runs in four innings, and batters Jose Altuve and Trey Mancini, who combined to go 0-for-9 with a walk) were a net negative towards Houston winning this game. Alvarez didn't just have to perform his own heroics. He had to overcome the hole the Astros placed themselves in to get there.
Cleveland's Oscar Gonzalez led off the bottom of the fifteenth inning with a home run off Corey Kluber, clinching the ALWC series for the Guardians and ending the longest 0-0 postseason game in major league history.
No postseason game had been scoreless through more than 12 innings before Saturday. The Guardians will play the Yankees in the ALDS (best-of-5), beginning on Tuesday. The Rays scored one run and was 0-for-7 with RATS over 24 innings in the two games.
This was also the first game to be scoreless through 14 innings since the Red Sox beat the Rays 1-0 in 16 innings on July 17, 2011. . . . From that game's JoS post:
[The Rays] issued 12 walks, including seven in a span of 12 batters in the 9th-11th innings. Boston left the bases loaded in the ninth and eleventh, and two on in the tenth. . . .
This was the longest game the Red Sox had been held scoreless since a 17-inning scoreless tie against the St. Louis Browns almost exactly 95 years ago (July 14, 1916)!
It was also the longest game by time (5:44) in Rays history. . . . This was also the longest scoreless game in Rays history.
There were 39 strikeouts in today's Guardians/Rays game, a new record for a postseason game.
Mookie Betts of the Dodgers is the only MLB player in the modern era to have three separate game-tying or go-ahead extra-base hits in the seventh inning or later of a victory. On Friday, August 26, 2022, against the Marlins, Betts hit:
a two-run homer with no outs in the top of the 7th, wiping out Miami's 2-1 lead and giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead
a solo homer with one out in the top of the 9th, wiping out Miami's 4-3 lead and tying the game at 4-4
an RBI-double with one out in the top of the 10th, snapping a 5-5 tie and giving the Dodgers a 6-5 lead
Shohei Ohtani in 2022 6 games with two or more home runs (batting)
9 games with ten or more strikeouts (pitching) No other player in MLB history has had at least six of each over his entire career.
In their MLB debuts on Monday, September 5:
Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks: 7.0 IP, 0 R, 7 K (7-4-0-0-7, 87) Hunter Brown, Astros: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 5 K (6-3-0-1-5, 79) This is the first time in the modern era that two pitchers each had a scoreless outing with 5+ strikeouts in their MLB debut on the same day.
Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays is the first American League shortstop to have 6+ hits and 3+ HR on a single day (Toronto played adoubleheader.)
Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks is the fourth pitcher in the modern era (and the first non-Dodgers pitcher) to pitch 6.0+ scoreless innings in six consecutive starts, joining Don Drysdale (1968 Dodgers), Orel Hershiser (1988 Dodgers) and Zack Greinke (2015 Dodgers).
Dylan Cease of the White Sox is the first MLB pitcher to have four games in a season where he threw 6.0+ shutout innings while allowing no more than one hit since Pete Alexander did it for the Phillies in 1915.
On Friday, September 2, the Dodgers lost to the Padres 7-1, snapping their streak of 228 consecutive regular-season games without losing by more than five runs. That streak is 80 games longer than any other such streak in MLB history (next longest: 148 by Pirates from 1979-80).
Also on September 2, Spencer Steer of the Reds went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and two walks in his MLB debut tonight for an OPS of 4.000 -- the highest OPS by any player in his MLB debut in the modern era (minimum 3 PA). (Steer is also on the All-Cattle Team.)
On Wednesday, August 31, the Cardinals beat the Reds 5-3 in 13 innings despite going 0-for-17 with RATS. They are the second MLB team in the last 45 seasons to win a game in which they had no hits in 17+ AB w/RATS. The first: The 2004 Red Sox, on April 24 against the Yankees (0-for-19 in a 3-2 win in 12 innings).
Mariners rookie pitcher George Kirby has not allowed more than one walk in any of his 18 starts while pitching 4.0+ innings in all of them.
This is the only MLB game in the last 100 seasons where both teams had at least seven runs and ten hits and all of one team's runs and hits came after all of the other team's.
The Angels are the first team in major league history to score seven runs in a game on seven solo homers.
The Angels had nine hits on Thursday night: one single, one double, and seven home runs.
I do not believe a team has ever scored eight runs in a game with no more than one run in an inning. (I believe seven has been done before.)
The previous high was six runs on six solo shots, accomplished by the the Athletics on August 3, 1991 against the Twins and the Blue Jays on May 21, 2010 against the Diamondbacks. Both homer-happy teams lost by an 8-6 score.
The Angels are also the sixth team to hit seven homers in a game and lose. It's now happened in each of the last three seasons. (Teams that have hit seven home runs in a game are now 79-6.)
UPDATE/FULLER EXPLANATION: Teams that hit exactly seven home runs in a game are 79-6. Teams that have hit seven or more homers are 110-6 and teams that have hit eight or more home runs are 31-0. (Of those 31 teams, 29 hit eight home runs, one hit nine, and one hit ten.)
The Amazing Shohei Ohtani hit two of the seven dongs.
* * *
"10,669 players made their major league debut before Vin Scully started broadcasting Dodgers games. 10,641 more players made their major league debut before Vin Scully retired from broadcasting Dodgers games."
The Red Sox have been outscored 55-8 in their last three games.
July 16: Yankees 14, Red Sox 1
July 17: Yankees 13, Red Sox 2
July 22: Blue Jays 28, Red Sox 5
That -47 run differential is the worst over a three-game span by any major league team since the Louisville Colonels allowed 60 runs over three games in 1894 (August 15-17: 4-14, 3-17, 4-29).
The Blue Jays scored 25 runs in the first five innings, tying a major league record set by the Cubs almost exactly 100 years ago, on August 25, 1922; they scored 25 runs in the first four innings (1-10-0-14) and nearly lost the game, before hanging on and winning 26-23. They beat the Phillies, who used only two pitchers!
About Toronto's 11-run fifth inning . . . Kaleb Ort retired the first two batters!
Ort pitching, Blue Jays lead 14-3.
Guerrero struck out. Kirk grounded out to first unassisted. Bichette singled to right. Hernandez singled to right. Gurriel singled to center (15-3). Chapman singled to pitcher (16-3). Espinal walked. Jansen singled to right (17-3). Tapia doubled to center (19-3). Mound visit. Guerrero singled to left (21-3). Hernandez relieved Ort. Kirk walked. Bichette singled to right (22-3). Hernandez singled to right (23-3). Gurriel doubled to center (25-3). Chapman struck out.
The Blue Jays tied a major league record by having seven players with 3+ hits. This was the 11th occurrence.
The Blue Jays tied a major league record by having four players with 4+ RBI. This was the 7th occurrence (and only the second time in the AL).
The Blue Jays had six players with 3+ runs scored. The MLB record is seven (it's happened twice).
The Blue Jays three players with 4+ runs scored. The MLB record is four (it's happened five times).
28 - July 22, 2022 vs Blue Jays (5-28)
27 - July 7, 1923 at Cleveland (G1) (3-27)
24 - September 28, 1923 vs Yankees (4-24)
24 - May 1, 1929 vs Philadelphia Athletics (6-24)
22 - July 8, 1902 vs Philadelphia Athletics (9-22)
22 - May 31, 1970 vs White Sox (13-22)
22 - June 19, 2000 vs Yankees (1-22)
Blue Jays, Most Runs Scored
28 - July 22, 2022 at Red Sox (28-5)
24 - June 26, 1978 vs Orioles (24-10)
22 - September 12, 2021 at Orioles (22-7)
20 - June 25, 2002 at Devil Rays (20-11)
Most Runs Scored By Single Team (Live-Ball Era (Since 1920)
30 - Texas, August 22, 2007 at Orioles (30-3)
29 - Red Sox, June 8, 1950 vs Browns (29-4)
29 - White Sox, April 23, 1955 at Kansas City Athletics (29-6)
29 - Atlanta, September 9, 2020 vs Marlins (29-9)
28 - Browns, July 6, 1929 at Philadelphia Athletics (28-6)
28 - Blue Jays, July 22, 2022 at Red Sox (28-5)
There has been only one other 28-5 game in MLB history. On August 25, 1891, the Chicago Colts beat the Brooklyn Grooms 28-5. (The Colts are now known as the Cubs; the Grooms are the Los Angeles Dodgers.)
The Blue Jays are the second team since 1900 to have all nine starters with multiple hits and multiple runs scored in the same game. The other game had Toronto on the losing side, a 24-2 loss to the Angels on August 25, 1979.
Kern tweeted that the Red Sox were the fifth team since 1900 to have four different pitchers allow 5+ runs in fewer than 3 IP. . . . I believe they are actually the 10th team.
Red Sox - Allowing 8+ Runs While Recording 2 Or Fewer Outs
Marv Grissom - June 25, 1953 vs Cleveland (0.2-6-8-1-0)
Rob Stanifer - June 19, 2000 vs Yankees (0.2-7-9-1-0, 33)
Kaleb Ort - July 22, 2022 vs Blue Jays (0.2-7-8-1-1, 34)
Nate Eovaldi (2.2-8-9-2-3, 63) also gave up nine runs in under three innings back on May 17. The only other pitchers to have two such games in their Red Sox careers: Luis Tiant (1974 and 1976) and Doug Bird (both in 1983).
Raimel Tapia and Danny Jansen are the first #1 and #9 batters in MLB history to each have 6 RBI for the same team in the same game. (However: For most of that time, pitchers batted #9. Two teammates each knocking in six runs has now happened 27 times.)
Inside-The-Park Grand Slams (MLB, Since 2001)
Aaron Altherr, Phillies, September 25, 2015 at Nationals
Michael Taylor, Nationals, September 8, 2017 vs Phillies
Raimel Tapia, Blue Jays, July 22, 2022 at Red Sox
Rafael Devers, the second batter of Saturday's Red Sox/Yankees game, hit the first pitch he saw for his 22nd home run of the season. He also went deep in the opening frame on Friday and thus is the first Red Sox batter to hit a first-inning home run in back-to-back games against the Yankees since Carl Yastrzemski (April 22-23, 1967).
It was Devers's fifth dong against the MFY this season and the 18th of his career. The only player to hit more home runs against the Yankees before turning 26 is Ted Williams (20). Devers's 26th birthday is October 24, so he has 10 more games against New York to get past TSW. Starting today . . .
Devers is also the first Red Sox player to hit 20+ HR before the All-Star Break in consecutive seasons since David Ortiz (2004-06) and Manny Ramirez (2003-06).
After Devers's shot, Xander Bogaerts singled. . . . And then Jameson Taillon and Ryan Weber retired the next 22 Boston batters. By the time the Red Sox had another man on base – Jackie Bradley's two-out walk in the eighth – they trailed 10-1. The final score was 14-1. It was the Red Sox's worst loss in New York since 1952.
I probably can live without Bogaerts, but that rich motherfucker (John Henry) better fuckin sign Devers, who could be a free agent after the 2023 season. (Flo: "100 percent, when I see Devers, it's like I never left . . . He looks invincible out there. . . . Devers might be one of the top-three pure hitters in the game right now. . . . I hope the Red Sox make sense of the decision they need to make with him . . . We've got to keep him. He's the face of the organization.") . . . In his second (or maybe even third) big league season, Devers was still younger than everyone on Boston's AA team. The dude is 25. Don't make me watch his prime years in another uniform.
Weber's three-inning save was the MFY's first at home against the Red Sox since Bob "Don't Call Me" Shirley got one on Saturday, September 13, 1986. That's really slicing things a bit too thin to be worth mentioning, but I bring it up to point out that was my first game at Yankee Stadium. I flew down from Burlington, Vermont, for the weekend and Laura had bought tickets (upper deck, third base side). I apparently discouraged the guy sitting behind me from keeping a scorecard when he saw me pull out a pen to write in the lineups. (Man, fuck those stubby pencils that aren't even sharp to begin with.) That was also the Rice-Goes-Into-The-Stands-To-Fight-For-His-Purloined-Cap game, which bit of nutzo entertainment I missed because I was out in the concourse waiting in a beer line. Tom Seaver started for the Red Sox and the MFY won 11-6.
After the game, Intimidated Scorer, his friend, and Laura and I went to some bar in the Village (? – my post-game memory is decidedly blurry) and we got drunk(er) and I stole two shot glasses that reminded me of test tubes. We called them our George Jetson shot glasses. And here they are . . . missing from wherever for nearly 47 years . . .
The Jetsons was the first series to be broadcast in colour on ABC. At the time (1962), only 3% of the general public owned colour sets. Don Messick, who did Rastro's roice, also did Scooby-Doo's voice, which makes sense now that I know.
Matt Carpenter drove in seven runs. He also had seven RBI in G1 on June 12. Only four Yankees have had multiple 7+ RBI games in the same season:
Babe Ruth (1929) Lou Gehrig (1930, 1934) Joe DiMaggio (1940) Matt Carpenter (2022)
In two of Saturday's four shutouts, the final score was 10-0 and each winning team had innings in which they scored 2, 3, and 5 runs. The losing teams each had five hits. Winning teams hit totals almost matched.
In the finale, Boston trailed 0-4 and 2-6, before scoring nine unanswered runs and winning handily. Trevor Story went 2-for-4, with three runs scored and three RBI. Christian Vázquez and J.D. Martinez each scored two runs and knocked in a pair.
Vázquez (battng #2) became the first catcher in Red Sox history to bat leadoff or second and hit a double and a home run . . . which is something. And Trevor Story's three-run double was the first one hit by the Red Sox against the MFY since Brock Holt cleared the bases against Matt Tracy on April 11, 2015 (JoS report and subsequent schandenfreude).
Nick Pivetta got shelled (3.1-8-6-2-5, 90) and has allowed 13 runs in his last nine innings (starts against the Rays and Yankees). A quartet of bullpenners – Kaleb Ort, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Strahm, and Ryan Brasier – held the line with a combined line of 5.2-3-0-0-3, 77.
I confess to not recognizing "Kaleb Ort". It was his second major league game. His debut came last September when he faced three Mariners in Seattle.
On Saturday, the Red Sox rallied from 1-3 and 3-5 to walkoff in ten innings. Kutter Crawford had a good start (5-4-1-2-6, 88) and Alex Verdugo had three hits and three RBI.
The Red Sox are in Tampa Bay this week for four games against the Rays before playing the Yankees three times in the Bronx. Brayan Bello makes his second career start tonight.
American League Wild Card
BOS 47 39 +2.5
TBR 45 40 +1.0
TOR 45 42 ---
SEA 45 42 ---
BAL 43 44 2.0
CLE 41 42 2.0
CWS 41 43 2.5
What in the hell are the Orioles doing in there?
The Red Sox's run differential is +51, which is actually better than the Twins (+50), who lead the AL Central by 4.5 games. Geography is destiny.
Shohei Ohtani is the first player in major league history to have an 8-RBI game and a 13-strikeout game in his career.
Ohtani accomplished the two feats on consecutive days.
June 21, 2022: Shohei Ohtani hit two three-run homers and drove in a career-high eight runs. Ohtani is the eighth player in Angels history to have eight RBIs in a game. It was also the most RBIs in a game by a Japanese-born player. His two dongs were hit 423 and 438 feet.
June 22, 2022: Shohei Ohtani pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 13 batters. After a pregame ceremony delayed the start of the game, Ohtani gave up back-to-back singles. Then he retired 16 batters in a row, including 10 by strikeout, before issuing a walk. Ohtani retired 23 of the last 24 batters he faced. In the seventh inning on a humid night, his fastball was still hitting 100 mph.
Only one other player in history has had a 10+-strikeout game as a pitcher and an 8+-RBI game as a hitter in his entire career. Atlanta's Tony Cloninger struck out 12 on April 12, 1966 (Opening Day), but lost a complete game in 13 innings. On July 3, 1966, he knocked in nine runs (he also hit two grand slams) against the Giants. He pitched a complete game that day, too: 9-7-3-2-5.
Oh, there's more Ohtani:
June 15, 2022: The Angels were only two outs away from being no-hit for the first time since 1999, when Ohtani tripled down the right-field line off Tyler Anderson of the Dodgers.
June 25, 2022: Ohtani hit another home run on Saturday night, estimated at 462 feet. It was the hardest hit ball of his career, 118 mph off the bat! It was also the hardest hit home run by any Angels player since 2015 (when Statcast was born).
I have an Excel spreadsheet with every major league linescore from 1901 to 2021 (imported from Retrosheet's text file logs). This is exciting news for me. (It may be somewhat less exciting for you.)
The first thing I can tell you is that in those 121 years of major league baseball (a total of 203,095 games), there have been 16 instances of a team scoring, over four consecutive innings, 1-2-3-4 runs. It has happened five times in the first four innings (what I call a Ramones linescore*), by only two franchises:
No team has scored 1-2-3-4-5 runs in consecutive innings (since at least 1901) at any point in a game.
There have been 19 games in which a team scored exactly one run in six consecutive innings, building a "picket fence" (do announcers still use that phrase?). Two of those 19 games happened on the same day (August 24, 1997). In the span of one week in 2001, the Royals had two opponents score one run in six consecutive innings (August 21 and 27).
Only one team has scored a single run in seven consecutive innings: the Padres did it against the Dodgers on April 9, 1982. And they did it without hitting any home runs in the entire game.
Are you curious if a team has ever scored 10+ runs in an inning twice in a game? It has happened twice:
August 25, 1922: Cubs 26, Phillies 23 (Cubs scored 10 in 2nd and 14 in fourth) July 6, 1929: Cardinals 28, Phillies 6 (Cardinals scored 10 in 1st and 10 in fifth)
The most runs scored in a game where all of the runs were scored in only one inning is 13. The Phillies beat the Reds 13-1 on April 13, 2003, scoring all 13 runs in the top of the fourth.
Because several National League teams have scored in all nine innings as the visiting team, there is no list (that I know of) of NL home teams who have scored in all eight innings and did not bat in the ninth. I have a short list of those games, but this should help me find them all.
The Pirates did not have a hit on Sunday, but because they were the home team and scored a run in the eighth inning (three walks and a one-out fielder's choice), they did not have to bat in the ninth. Therefore, this game is not an official no-hitter.
This is extremely stupid. The game was played to an official completion and the Reds, although they lost, did not allow a hit . . . so that's a no-hitter. It's pretty much the definition of a no-hitter. It should be added to the official list, with a notation that the no-hit team batted in only eight innings. (It was the sixth time since 1901 that a team won despite not getting any hits.)
Hunter Greene is the first Reds pitcher removed in the eighth inning or later while in the midst of a no-hitter since Johnny Klippstein (7-0-1-7-4; he was pinch-hit for in the top of the eighth), on May 26, 1956. The Reds lost to Milwaukee 2-1 in 11 innings. Milwaukee finished with three hits, one in the 10th and two in the 11th.
On April 23, 1964, the Reds were no-hit and beat the Houston Colt .45s 1-0, thanks to an unearned run in the ninth. Ken Johnson's no-hitter was official because the Reds were the visiting team, so Houston batted nine times.
Other unofficial no-hitters, because the home team did not bat in the 9th (with the pitcher(s) throwing the no-hitter):
Chicago vs Brooklyn, June 21, 1890 (Charles King) Yankees at White Sox, July 1, 1990 (Andy Hawkins) Red Sox at Indians, April 12, 1992 (Matt Young) Angels at Dodgers, June 28, 2008 (Jered Weaver (6), Jose Arredondo (2))
Also yesterday:
The Yankees were the first team to score 5+ runs on two or fewer hits since the Cardinals beat the Dodgers 5-1 on September 4, 2004. The only other qualifying Yankees game came on June 8, 1952 when they beat the Browns 5-2. They had only two hits, but St. Louis committed five errors and issued seven walks.
The Mets hit three triples but lost to the Mariners 8-7. The last time the Mets lost despite having three triples was nearly 41 years ago (August 20, 1981).
Albert Pujols pitched an inning for the Cardinals at age 42. He took the mound against the Giants in the top of the ninth with the Cardinals up 15-2. He faced seven batters in the inning, allowed three hits (including two home runs), a walk, and four runs. Pujols had two outs and two men on, so he was nearly out of trouble, but that was when he allowed the two dongs to San Francisco's #8 and #9 batters, left fielder Luis Gonzalez (who also pitched (1.1 innings, 1 hit)) and catcher Joey Bart.
The Red Sox were no-hit for nine innings on Saturday before an almost pulled off a victory before losing a heartbreaker, 3-2 in ten innings, to the Rays. The loss dropped Boston (7-8) into fourth place, 3 GB the Blue Jays, who happen to be the Red Sox's next opponent.
Six Tampa Bay pitchers, none of whom recorded more than six outs, combined for a 9-0-0-5-5, 123 line. Although they had no hits, Boston put two runners on base in both the third and fourth innings (Rays shortstop Wander Franco made sensational plays in both of those frames), and single baserunners in the fifth and sixth.
It's the first time in 52 years that the Red Sox had two or fewer hits in an extra-inning loss on the road (May 24, 1970, a 2-1 loss at Baltimore).
The Rays are the first team in major league history "to throw a no-hitter through 9 innings, lose said no-hitter in extras, then end up winning the game via walkoff". (Note: I am applying an asterisk because of the FURMR (the Fuck You Rob Manfred Runner).)
For the Red Sox, starter Garrett Whitlock (4-1-0-0-7, 48) was superb, constantly getting ahead of hitters and getting 11 swings-and-misses. In his 51 major league games, Whitlock has a 1.76 ERA and an opponents OPS of .590. (Earlier this month, Whitlock, 25, signed a four-year contract extension ($18.5 million) that covers 2023-26 and includes club options for 2027 and 2028.) And to think, we got him for free from the Yankees!
Kutter Crawford pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out five, which was the exact opposite of what he had done in his previous two appearances. In two innings, he shit the mound to the tune of five hits, six walks, and seven runs.
Boston's top of the tenth began against Matt Wisler, with Jackie Bradley on second base. Wisler got ahead of Bobby Dalbec 0-2 before Dalbec lifted an outside slider towards the right field corner. Brett Phillips sprinted over and dove on the warning track, but the ball was tailing away from him and it fell just beyond his reach. Although Bradley had retreated to second to tag in case the ball was caught, he still scored easily.
This was the 15th major league game in which a team has allowed no hits through nine innings and then given up a hit in extra innings. It's the first time the first hit was a triple, however.
Christian Vázquez took a ball and hit a high fly to left. Josh Lowe made the catch in front of the warning track and Dalbec scored, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Travis Shaw lined to right and Trevor Story lined a single to left. Rafael Devers worked a full count, but went down swinging.
Hansel Robles (whose string of 20 consecutive scoreless appearances is the second longest active streak in the AL) struck out the first two Rays in the bottom of the tenth and had an 0-1 count on Taylor Walls. Then Robles balked when going into his set-position and EIR Randy Arozarena advanced to third. Robles fired another strike and he and the Red Sox were one strike away. A ball in the dirt was blocked by Vázquez. Walls hit a grounder to Story's right. He went down on one knee to backhand it where the infield dirt meets the fake grass. His throw seemed to be powered solely by his arm; the rest of his body was stuff. The throw skipped past Dalbec, who dove and tumbled to the right field side of the bag. Walls stayed at first.
Kevin Kiermaier was next and the Red Sox held a mound meeting. No real harm: tying run at first, two outs. Robles's first pitch was a changeup away. Kiermaier fouled off a fastball. After a pickoff attempt, Walls took off, stealing second on a pitch up and away. Robles 2-1 pitch was low. Kiermaier lined the next offering, a flat fastball on the inner half, to right field for a game-winning home run.
Robles is the second pitcher in Red Sox history to give up one hit, no earned runs, strike out two or more batters and be charged with both a blown save and a loss. Derek Lowe was the first, against the Mariners on September 1, 1998. (For what it's worth, in that 1970 loss to the Orioles, linked above, Red Sox reliever Sparky Lyle allowed two hits, one walk, one run, and was charged with a blown save and a loss.)
The first seven Red Sox were retired when Vázquez grounded a ball to the left of shortstop Wander Franco. The ball hit off his glove and went up in the air. Franco turned his back to the plate and somehow caught the ball on the outfield turf. He turned and then, a little bit off-balance, fired to first and nabbed Vázquez by a hair. (In the top of the fourth, Franco ranged far to his left to glove Alex Verdugo's grounder up the middle. Verdugo was initially called safe at first, but after a challenge, the call was changed to out.)
After Vázquez was retired, Rob Refsnyder walked and Trevor Story reached on an infield fielding error, before Rafael Devers popped out to second.
Whitlock allowed a leadoff double to Brandon Lowe in the bottom of the fourth but held firm, getting a fly to right, a strikeout, and a fly to center.
Story walked and stole second with two down in the fifth, but Devers ended the inning with a fly to left.
After Verdugo's one-out walk in the sixth was wasted, the Red Sox were retired in order in the seventh, eighth, and ninth.
Tyler Danish (All-Pastry Team) walked Lowe to start the bottom of the ninth, but Danish earned his dough by getting a force and a double play, the latter off Randy Arozarena's bat.
The Cubs beat the Pirates 21-0, a franchise record for most runs in a shutout. (That's a franchise that goes back 146 years!) On May 28, 1886, the Cubs (then known as the White Stockings) blanked Washington 20-0.
This was also the first 21-0 game in National League history and the first 21-0 major league game in 83 years!
May 7, 1889 - St. Louis Browns (now Cardinals) vs Columbus (American Association) September 15, 1901 - Tigers vs Cleveland Blues (now Guardians) (American League, 8 innings) August 13, 1939 - Yankees at Philadelphia Athletics (American League, 8 innings) April 23, 2022 - Cubs vs Pirates (National League)
While Pittsburgh managed only three hits today, five different Cubs had 3+ hits, the first time the team has done that since Opening Day 2005. The Cubs had not scored 21+ runs since pounding the Rockies 26-7 on August 18, 1995.
Miguel Cabrera got his 3,000th career hit in the first inning on Saturday, a 13-0 win for the Tigers. He's the 33th player to reach 3,000 hits and the seventh player to have 3,000+ hits and 500+ home runs. Miggy is also the third player to get #3,000 as a Tiger, joining Ty Cobb (August 19, 1921 vs Red Sox) and Al Kaline (September 24, 1974 at Orioles).
The Reds won on Opening Day, but have gone 1-13 since then. On Saturday, they lost their 11th consecutive game. Cincinnati has not scored more than 2 runs in any of their last eight games! 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 0, 2, 0.
More than 9 innings: 32 games Fewer than 9 innings: 24 games Exactly 9 innings: 10 games
There are many factors why there were more 0-0 ties in the distant past. Teams played far more doubleheaders and games were often called because of darkness (or because a team needed to catch a certain train to another city).
The last game to end in a 0-0 tie was played on September 13, 1989, when the Pirates-Cardinals contest was called in the top of the sixth because of rain. The last 0-0 tie of at least nine innings was 66 years ago, on August 12, 1956 at Wrigley Field, the second game of a Cardinals-Cubs doubleheader.
The first 0-0 tie of the modern era was on May 1, 1902, at Chicago's West Side Grounds. The Reds and Colts (one of the old nicknames of the future Cubs) played 12 innings in two hours without a run crossing the plate. Each team's pitcher threw a complete game. Reds: Frank "Noodles" Hahn (12-8-0-2-7, 44 Batters Faced); Orphans: Jack Taylor (12-5-0-0-3, 41 BF)
In 1904, the Senators and Tigers played two 0-0 ties (both in Washington) in a span of two months. On May 21, they played 11 innings (there were 10 errors in that game, seven by Washington) and on July 22, they played 13 innings (before 500 fans). BRef's page states the July 22 game took 1:25, which would mean there were 87 batters in 85 minutes (!), but the box score in the Detroit Free Press gives a more logical time of 2:25.
The 1904 season saw a record seven 0-0 ties. There were four scoreless ties in 1906, 1907, 1910, 1915, and 1916. The last two seasons with more than one 0-0 tie were 1929 and 1942.
Boston's National League team holds the record for being involved in eight 0-0 ties (despite not existing after 1952). Between 1912 and 1916, they played in five scoreless ties. In the AL, the White Sox and Cleveland have each played in seven 0-0 games.
On August 13, 1906, the White Sox and Yankees tied 0-0 after nine innings. Exactly one month later, on September 13, the White Sox and Browns played 10 scoreless innings. And 10 days after that (September 23), the Browns tied the Athletics 0-0 after nine frames.
The longest 0-0 tie for many years was an 18-inning affair between the Senators and Tigers, on July 16, 1909, in Detroit. Tigers pitcher Ed Summers went the distance, facing 63 batters (seven times through the opposing lineup).
On September 11, 1946, the Reds and Dodgers set the current record, played 19 innings without a run. The Phillies and Mets played to an 18-inning 0-0 tie in the second game of an October 2, 1965 doubleheader.
There are also many games that remained scoreless for a long time before one team finally scored. On August 23, 1989, the Dodgers and Expos were scoreless for 21 innings before Los Angeles scored in the top of the 22nd. It was LA's second 22-inning game of the season; they lost 4-3 to the Astros on June 3. (Laura and I were two of the 21,742 fans in Stade Olympique. Our attendance that evening happened purely by chance. We were in Vermont visiting friends and family; driving to Montreal was penciled in for Monday, August 21. For reasons I cannot recall, our plans changed and we went on Wednesday, August 23. So instead of seeing a relatively boring 6-1 win by the Dodgers, we walked up to the ticket window and bought two seats for the second-longest 1-0 game in baseball history.)
But that was not the most innings a game remained 0-0, however. On April 15, 1968 (the sixth game of the season), the game between the Mets and Astros was scoreless until the bottom of the 24th inning. Houston scored on a leadoff single, a balk, two intentional walks, and an infield error. Not the way you want to lose a game after 24 innings (which is not to say there's a specific way you would prefer to lose after 24 innings).
Night Games
The first major league night game took place at Cincinnati's Crosley Field on May 24, 1935 (Reds 2, Phillies 1). More than three years passed before another park had lights. Brooklyn's Ebbets Field had its first night game on June 15, 1938, and it was a historic night: Johnny Vander Meer pitched his second consecutive no-hitter! BRef's box score states the game began at 9:20 PM. (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said 8:30.)
The American League's first night game was in Philadelphia on May 16, 1939 (Cleveland 8, A's 3 (10)). Three additional teams got lights in 1939 and four more teams joined the list in 1940. There were holdouts. The Yankees and Red Sox were holdouts for 11 or 12 years after the Reds; they seemed to want to play night games at home about as much as they wanted to sign black players (Yankees (May 28, 1946), Red Sox (June 13, 1947)).
Seven of the eight NL teams had lights by May 1946 and all eight AL teams were playing night games by June 1948. The Cubs, famously, would not have lights until August 1988.
By June 1948, 59 of the MLB's 66 scoreless ties had been played. Of course, teams played far fewer nights games back then than they do now. In 1935, for example, the Reds played only seven night games in 1935, one game against each NL opponent. The 1939 Athletics did the same in the AL (they also played two night games on the road). In 1947, the Red Sox played 14 of their 79 home games at night.
Minor Leagues
The Fargo Red Stockings and Grand Forks Black Stockings of the Red River Valley League played 25 scoreless innings on July 18, 1891. It was still light when the game was called at 8:10 PM because the players had to catch a train.
William Gibbs of Grand Forks and George Raymer of Fargo both pitched 25 innings. The Sporting Life of July 25, 1891, reported the game was played in 3:50. There were 11 double plays in the game. Grand Forks second baseman Watson fielded 19 chances without an error and Fargo's third baseman McDonald handled 14 chances cleanly.
According to Tim Hagerty, the Grand Forks club "folded one game later because of financial trouble". GF had already moved the series to Devil's Lake, 90 miles away, because the team was not drawing any fans at home. Their ball park was dismantled and the lumber was sold to pay salaries and various bills.
22 Innings Keokuk 0, Burlington 0 June 27, 1915, Central Association Time: 3:50, Burlington, Iowa
20 Innings Toronto 0, Jersey City 0 August 12, 1913, International League Time: 3:20, Jersey City, New Jersey
Amateur
23 Innings Cresent 0, Kingfisher 0 May 11, 1908, Oklahoma State League
I found this after I thought I had finished this post:
High School (Japan)
In August 2014, a semifinal game in the 59th National High School Nanshiki Baseball Tournament, between Chukyo of Gifu Prefecture and Sotoku from Hiroshima Prefecture, went 49 scoreless innings over four days before Chukyo scored three runs in the top of the 50th and won 3-0. (How strange does it sound to hear yourself say "top of the 50th"?)
Nanshiki baseball is uses a rubber ball that does not travel as far as a typical baseball.
Both starting pitchers went the distance, throwing a total of 1,398 pitches. Taiga Matsui, of Chukyo, threw 709 pitches, an average of 14.2 per inning. Sotoku pitcher Jukiya Ishioka threw 689 pitches (13.8/IP). Matsui then threw 77 pitches out of the bullpen in the championship game later that same day, as Chukyo beat Miura Gakuen from Kanagawa 2-0. That's 786 pitches over four days. And he was the winning pitcher in both games . . . again, on the same day.
August 28: 0-0 after 15 innings; game suspended August 29: 0-0 after 30 innings; game suspended August 30: 0-0 after 45 innings; game suspended August 31: 0-0 after 49 innings; Chukyo scored three runs in T50 to win 3-0.
In the 31st inning, Chukyo got a runner to second, but a strikeout stranded the runner. In the bottom of the 34th inning, a Sotoku batter hit a triple with (I think) two outs. They tried a squeeze bunt, but the batter struck out and the runner was tagged out.
After three days, the game had gone 45 innings which tied the record for the longest game in Nanshiki baseball in terms of innings. On September 20, 1983, a game between the Raito Kyogo (Tokyo) and Tanaka Hospital (Miyazaki) went for 45 innings and lasted eight hours and 19 minutes.
In the lead up to the final game, both pitchers were feeling the pain of constant throwing. Matsui was experiencing back pain and receiving therapy between games. He said to his teammates that if they won through his pitching he'd prefer they lift the coach up in celebration instead because he probably wouldn't be able to take the pain. It was a sentiment that moved his coach to tears.
Through three days and 45 innings, the two pitchers had thrown 1,252 pitches to 225 batters.
The entire Sotoku team has been putting on a brave face after the tragic landslides that hit their prefecture earlier this month.
The score remained locked until the top of the 50th when Chukyo found themselves with bases loaded and no outs from an infield single and two walks. At that time, Goto hit a double and finally batted in the first two runs of this four-day game. Later on another point was scored off an infield grounder.
In the bottom of the 50th, those runs would go unanswered.
