October 4

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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on October 4.

Events

• 1906 - The Chicago Cubs win their 116th game of 152 played for a winning percentage (.763) that has not been matched since.
• 1917 - After the Brooklyn Robins beat the Boston Braves, 5 - 1 in the first game of a doubleheader, Boston responds with a 4 - 2 victory in the nitecap. The 40-inning scoreless streak of Art Nehf ends when a walk followed by a single and a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning produces a run for Brooklyn. Nehf holds on for the victory over Leon Cadore and finishes the year at 17-8 for the sixth-place Braves. In the opener, Sherry Smith evens his season's record, beating Jack Scott.
• 1919 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte makes two errors in one inning of Game 4 of the World Series to give the Cincinnati Reds the only runs of the game. He walks none and gives up five hits, including three by his mound opponent, Jimmy Ring, and Cincinnati wins, 2 - 0. The Reds lead the Series three games to one.
• 1922 - For the first time, the entire World Series will be broadcast over the radio. Writer Grantland Rice does the announcing of the New York Giants-New York Yankees Series for station WJZ, in Newark, NJ, whose signal is relayed to WGY in Schenectady, NY.
• 1924 - New York Giants third baseman Freddie Lindstrom, at 18 years, 10 months, is the youngest ever to play in a World Series. President Calvin Coolidge is among 35,760 who jam the stands for Game 1 in Washington, DC. Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators loses his World Series debut, 4 - 3, in 12 innings.
• 1925 - Harry Heilmann gets six hits in Detroit's doubleheader sweep over the Browns, 10 - 4 and 11 - 6, to edge out teammate Ty Cobb for the batting crown, .393 to .389. Cobb bats over .300 for the 20th time. In the second game, fans see the unusual spectacle of two managers, both famous hitters, pitch against each other in the season finale. George Sisler of the Browns and Ty Cobb of Detroit both pitch in relief for the two clubs. Cobb is perfect in his one inning, while Sisler holds Detroit scoreless in two.
• 1928 - Game 1 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals is a swift execution before 61,425 fans at Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth has a single and double, and scores two runs, one on Bob Meusel's 4th-inning home run, and Lou Gehrig is 2 for 4 with two RBI off Bill Sherdel. Pitcher Waite Hoyt sets the Cardinals down with three hits, one a solo home run by Jim Bottomley in the 7th inning, for a 4 - 1 victory.
• 1930 - In the World Series, Bill Hallahan of the St. Louis Cardinals blanks the Philadelphia Athletics, 5 - 0. Jack Quinn, at age 46, pitches two innings of relief against the Cardinals, thereby becoming the oldest player to appear in a World Series game.
• 1933 - Scoring six runs in the 6th inning, the New York Giants make it two in a row over the Washington Senators in Game 2 of the World Series. The Senators are again held to five hits.
• 1934 - Schoolboy Rowe evens the World Series with a 12-inning, 3 - 2 victory, shutting out the St. Louis Cardinals over the final nine innings. The Detroit Tigers tie the game in the 9th inning and win on Goose Goslin's single.
• 1939 - The World Series begins at Yankee Stadium, with the Cincinnati Reds playing their first Series since the infamous 1919 match-up against the Chicago White Sox. With the Yankees as heavy favorites, the game is tied 1 - 1 until the last of the 9th inning, when Yankees catcher Bill Dickey singles home the winning run.
• 1942:
  • In the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals get six runs in the 4th inning, but the Yankees tie the game with five in the 6th. St. Louis scores three more runs to win 9 - 6 in a 22-hit game.
  • In a rematch of last year's IBF world championship, Cuba tops Venezuela, 8 - 0, behind Connie Marrero's three-hitter in the opening game of the 1942 Amateur World Series. Venezuela is led by second baseman Luis Aparicio, Sr. and losing pitcher Chino Canónico. The 31-year-old Marrero will debut with the Washington Senators in 1950.
• 1944 - The only all-St. Louis World Series opens with the Browns, as the visiting team, beating the Cardinals on George McQuinn's home run, 2 - 1. Denny Galehouse is the winning pitcher and Mort Cooper the loser despite allowing just two hits.
• 1947 - Pitcher Spec Shea throws a four-hitter and helps his own cause hitting two singles, as the New York Yankees win, 2 - 1, over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series. A home run by Joe DiMaggio in the 5th inning is the margin.
• 1948 - The Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox, 8 - 3, in a one-game playoff to decide the American League pennant. The pitching of Gene Bearden and the hitting of Lou Boudreau key the victory.
• 1950 - Relief ace Jim Konstanty of the Philadelphia Phillies starts and loses Game 1 of the World Series to Vic Raschi and the Yankees, 1 - 0. Bobby Brown hits a double and scores the lone run on two long flies.
• 1951 - In the opening game of the World Series, Monte Irvin steals home in the 1st inning and collects four hits. The New York Giants defeat Allie Reynolds and the Yankees, 5 - 1, with Dave Koslo pitching a complete game at Yankee Stadium. Irvin, Hank Thompson and Willie Mays of the Giants form the first all-black outfield in a World Series game.
• 1953 - In Game 5 of the World Series, Mickey Mantle hits a grand slam off Russ Meyer, and the Yankees hold on to win, 11 - 7, over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
• 1955 - The Brooklyn Dodgers win their only World Series with Johnny Podres beating the New York Yankees, 2 - 0 in Game 7.
• 1958:
  • In Game 3 of the World Series, New York Yankees pitchers Don Larsen and Ryne Duren combine for a shutout as New York wins, 4 - 0, over the Milwaukee Braves. Hank Bauer accounts for all four runs, including a two-run home run in the 7th inning.
  • A Tokyo schoolboy star named Sadaharu Oh is signed by the Yomiuri Giants for a bonus of Y13,000,000 (about $55,000). Oh will become one of the most famous players of all time, setting many world hitting records.
• 1959:
  • At home, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox, 3 - 1, behind the pitching of Don Drysdale and Larry Sherry in Game 2 of the World Series. Carl Furillo's pinch-hit two-run single in the 7th inning is the difference. The attendance of 92,234 sets a new World Series mark.
  • The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, located next to Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, is dedicated.
• 1961 - Whitey Ford's third straight World Series shutout, with home runs by Elston Howard and Bill Skowron, gives the Yankees a 2 - 0 win in Game 1 of the 1961 World Series against Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium.
• 1962 - In the opener of the World Series at Candlestick Park, Whitey Ford's record scoreless inning streak ends at 33 2/3 when a surprising squeeze play by Jose Pagan brings Willie Mays home. The Yankees beat San Francisco, 6 - 2, the last of a record ten World Series victories for Ford.
• 1964:
  • The Philadelphia Phillies bomb the Cincinnati Reds, 10 - 0, as both teams finish one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies and Reds then sit in the visitor's clubhouse and hope that New York Mets pitcher Galen Cisco can stop the Cardinals. The Mets take a 3 - 2 lead into the 5th inning, but St. Louis scores three runs to regain the lead. New York scores once more but the Cardinals complete their scoring with three in the 8th to win, 11 - 5. Bob Gibson wins in relief. For St. Louis, it is their first pennant since 1946.
  • Larry Jackson's 9 - 2 victory over the Giants is his 24th win for the Cubs, the most ever for a pitcher on an eighth-place team. Jackson also sets a major league record for pitchers by fielding 109 chances during the season without committing an error. Walter Johnson fielded 103 chances without an error in 1913.
• 1967 - At Fenway Park, St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lou Brock collects four hits, two stolen bases and two runs as St. Louis defeats the Boston Red Sox, 2 - 1, in Game 1 of the World Series. Bob Gibson has ten strikeouts and outduels Jose Santiago, whose home run is Boston's only score.
• 1969 - Major League Baseball holds its first league championship games. In the National League Championship Series, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 9 - 5, and the Baltimore Orioles defeat the Minnesota Twins, 4 - 3, in the American League Championship Series.
• 1971 - Baltimore wins its second straight game in the American League Championship Series, beating the Oakland Athletics, 5 - 1, on four home runs by Boog Powell (two), Brooks Robinson and Elrod Hendricks against Catfish Hunter.
• 1972:
  • Yankees pitcher Larry Gowell hits a double in his only major league at-bat. This is the last hit by an American League pitcher before the league adopts the Designated Hitter rule in 1973. The Yankees lose to the Milwaukee Brewers, 1 - 0.
  • Ted Williams manages his final game as the Texas Rangers lose to the Kansas City Royals, 4 - 0, in the last game played at Municipal Stadium. Williams will be replaced by Whitey Herzog.
• 1975:
  • Don Gullett of the Cincinnati Reds pitches a complete game and helps himself with a home run, a single and three RBI to lead his team to an 8 - 3 win over Pittsburgh in the opening game of the National League Championship Series.
  • The Boston Red Sox, behind Luis Tiant's three-hitter, beat Oakland, 7 - 1, in the ALCS opener.
• 1977 - The Philadelphia Phillies score twice in the 9th inning on singles by Bake McBride, Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt off Elias Sosa, to beat the Dodgers, 7 - 5, in the opening game of the NLCS. Ron Cey blasts a grand slam for the Dodgers, and Greg Luzinski homers for the Phillies.
• 1978:
  • Steve Garvey hits two home runs and a triple to pace the Dodgers to a 9 - 5 victory over the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLCS. Davey Lopes and Steve Yeager also homer at Veterans Stadium.
  • The Kansas City Royals notch 16 hits off three Yankees pitchers to even the ALCS with a 10 - 4 triumph. A two-run home run by Freddie Patek seals the victory.
• 1979 - Baltimore takes a 9 - 1 lead in the ALCS Game 1, but the Angels score seven runs in the last four innings only to fall short, 9 - 8. Eddie Murray drives in four runs for Baltimore.
• 1980:
  • Mike Schmidt's two-run home run off Stan Bahnsen in the top of the 11th inning gives Philadelphia a 6 - 4 win over Montreal and the NL East title. The home run is Schmidt's 48th of the season, breaking Eddie Mathews' single-season record for third basemen set in 1953.
  • The New York Yankees clinch their fourth AL East title in five seasons, beating Detroit, 5 - 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Reggie Jackson hits his 41st home run of the season and will share the league home run crown with Ben Oglivie of the Milwaukee Brewers.
• 1983 - In the NLCS opener, Mike Schmidt's 1st-inning home run and Al Holland's clutch relief pitching to get out of an 8th-inning bases-loaded jam are enough for Philadelphia to top Los Angeles, 1 - 0.
• 1984 - The San Diego Padres take a lead in an NLCS game for the first time, and they go on to down the Chicago Cubs, 7 - 1, in Game 3.
• 1987 - The Detroit Tigers take advantage of one of the great collapses in history to win the AL East title, beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 1 - 0, behind the six-hit pitching of Frank Tanana. Toronto lost its last seven games of the season, including three straight in the season-ending series at Detroit.
• 1989 - Will Clark goes 4 for 4 with six RBI and two home runs on four hits, including the first National League Championship Series grand slam since 1977, to lead the Giants to an 11 - 3 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of the NLCS.
• 1990 - Trailing 3 - 0 after one inning, the Pirates come from behind to beat Cincinnati, 4 - 3, in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
• 1993 - American League owners unanimously approve the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to attorney Peter Angelos and his partners.
• 1995:
  • Jim Leyritz hits a two-run home run in the 15th inning to give the Yankees a dramatic victory and a two-games-to-none lead over Seattle in the Division Series.
  • Cincinnati take a two-games-to-none lead in its Division Series, defeating the Dodgers, 5 - 4. Eric Karros hits two home runs and Chad Fonville gets four hits in a losing cause.
  • In their NLDS, the Atlanta Braves defeat Colorado for the second straight day, 7 - 4, in a game featuring home runs by former Expos teammates Larry Walker of Colorado and Marquis Grissom of Atlanta.
  • Behind the pitching of Orel Hershiser, Cleveland shuts out the Boston Red Sox, 4 - 0, for their second victory in their ALDS.
• 1996:
  • Albert Belle hits a grand slam to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 9 - 4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 3 of their ALDS.
  • The New York Yankees score twice in the 9th inning to defeat Texas, 2 - 1, despite Juan Gonzalez's fourth home run of their American League Division Series. New York takes a two-games-to-one lead.
• 1997:
  • A solid pitching performance by Jeff Fassero keeps the Seattle Mariners alive in their ALDS with Baltimore, as Seattle wins by a score of 4 - 2.
  • The Yankees go a game up on Cleveland with a 6 - 1 victory behind a five-hitter by David Wells. Paul O'Neill hits a 4th-inning grand slam, driving in five of the Yankees' runs.
• 1998 - San Diego closes out the Astros, winning Game 4, 6 - 1, and taking their Division Series. Jim Leyritz and Wally Joyner hit home runs for San Diego.
• 1999 - The New York Mets shut out Cincinnati, 5 - 0, in a one-game playoff, to become the National League's wild card team. Al Leiter throws a complete game two-hitter for the win, as Mets shortstop Rey Ordóñez plays his 100th consecutive game without committing an error, setting a new major league mark.
• 2000:
  • San Francisco defeats the Mets, 5 - 1, in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. Livan Hernandez gets the victory, raising his lifetime postseason play record to 5-0. Ellis Burks' three-run home run is the key hit for San Francisco.
  • Seattle takes a 2-0 lead in its American League Division Series, defeating the Chicago White Sox, 5 - 2. Jay Buhner hits a home run for Seattle while Paul Abbott is the winning pitcher.
  • The New York Yankees even their ALDS with the Oakland Athletics at one game apiece with a 4 - 0 victory. Pitcher Andy Pettitte holds Oakland scoreless for 7 2/3 innings for the victory.
• 2001:
  • The San Francisco Giants defeat Houston, 10 - 2, as Barry Bonds hits his 70th home run of the season to tie the major league mark set by Mark McGwire. Rookie pitcher Wilfredo Rodriguez surrenders the historic blast.
  • Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres hits a home run to become major league baseball's all-time career runs scored leader with 2,246 as San Diego defeat the Dodgers, 6 - 3.
  • Tim Raines plays left field and his son Tim Jr. plays center in the Orioles' 5 - 4 loss to Boston. They become the second father-son duo to play in the same game, matching the feat turned by Ken Griffey, Sr. and his son Ken Jr. for the Seattle Mariners. The Orioles acquired the senior Raines yesterday from the Montreal Expos.
• 2002:
  • The New York Yankees blow a 6 - 1 lead as the Anaheim Angels bounce back for a 9 - 6 victory and a two-games-to-one lead in their ALDS. Tim Salmon and Adam Kennedy hit home runs for Anaheim and rookie Francisco Rodriguez again gets the victory in relief.
  • The Oakland Athletics hit four home runs as pitcher Barry Zito leads his club to a 6 - 3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Oakland has a two games to one lead in their ALDS. Ray Durham hits an inside-the-park home run to open the game. Scott Hatteberg, Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long also homer for Oakland.
• 2005:
  • The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres, 8 - 5, to take the first game of their National League Division Series. Reggie Sanders set an NLDS record with six RBI, including the third grand slam in Cardinals postseason history in the 5th inning.
  • The Chicago White Sox rout the Boston Red Sox, 14 - 2, to take the first game of their American League Division Series. The White Sox hit an ALDS record-setting five home runs.
  • Mike Mussina pitches scoreless ball into the 6th inning, and rookie Robinson Cano lines a three-run double in the 1st as the New York Yankees defeat Bartolo Colón and the Los Angeles Angels, 4 - 2, in Game 1 of their American League Division Series.
• 2009:
  • 51,000 fans turn out for what should be the final regular-season game to be played at the Metrodome, but the Twins extend their season with a 13 - 4 defeat of the Royals. Mid-season acquisition Carl Pavano picks up the win, completing a remarkable comeback season that sees him go 14-12 after three nightmarish years with the New York Yankees, and Delmon Young hits two home runs. Combined with the Tigers' 5 - 3 victory over the White Sox, highlighted by Ryan Raburn's two long balls, the Twins' win forces a one-game playoff that will be played in two days, as the dome is being used for a Monday night football game in the meantime.
  • Alex Rodriguez sets an American League record with seven RBI in the 6th inning of the Yankees' 10 - 2 win over the Rays, with homers off Wade Davis and Andy Sonnanstine - the second a grand slam. The Yankees complete the season with 243 home runs, a franchise record.
• 2011:
  • The Yankees tie their ALDS with Detroit at two games each with a 10 - 1 rout at Comerica Park. Due to the suspension of Game 1 which cost the two teams an off-day, the Yankees have to start the unpredictable A.J. Burnett against Rick Porcello, but he responds with a solid performance. Burnett gives up a run in 5 2/3 innings after issuing three walks in the 1st. New York puts the game away by beating up Detroit's bullpen for six 8th-inning runs.
  • The Rangers end the Rays' season with a 4 - 3 win in Game 4 of their ALDS. Adrian Beltre hits three homers and Ian Kinsler one to account for all of Texas's runs. The Rays manage a run off closer Neftali Feliz in the bottom of the 9th but end up short as Feliz picks up his third save of the series.
  • The Diamondbacks stave off elimination with an 8 - 1 win at home over Milwaukee in Game 3 of the NLDS. Rookie 1B Paul Goldschmidt hits a 5th-inning grand slam and drives in five runs as another rookie, Josh Collmenter, is the winner over Shaun Marcum.
  • The Phillies take a two-games-to-one lead in the other NLDS, beating St. Louis, 3 - 2, on a three-run pinch homer by Ben Francisco off Jaime Garcia in the 7th inning. The Cardinals manage to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the 8th, but Ryan Madson comes in to induce Allen Craig to hit into an inning-ending double play that snuffs out the threat. Cole Hamels is the winner.
  • At the 2011 Baseball World Cup, Australia suffers its third shutout in three games; in the 2009 Baseball World Cup, they had scored 33 times after three contests. Today, Hyoun-taek Oh (8 IP) and Hyun-jun Lim (1 IP) combine on a 12-strikeout, four-hit gem for South Korea. Australia had previously been blanked by Cuba and Italy. They will finally score on October 6th against Nicaragua.
• 2012 - Boston fires manager Bobby Valentine one day after the end of a painful season that saw the Red Sox finish in last place in the AL East.
• 2013:
  • Both National League Division Series are tied at one game apiece, as the Pirates defeat the Cardinals, 7 - 1, behind an excellent performance by P Gerrit Cole in one NLDS, and the Braves edge Los Angeles, 4 - 3, in the other NLDS.
  • In the American League, Boston gets off to a fast start in its series with the Rays by scoring eight runs in the 3rd and 4th innings for a 12 - 2 win in Game 1 of their ALDS. In the other Series, the Tigers win Game 1, 3 - 2, over Oakland, as Max Scherzer allows only three hits over seven innings.
• 2014:
  • The Giants take a 2-0 lead in the NLDS by defeating the Nationals, 2 - 1, in the longest game by time in postseason history. It takes 6 hours and 23 minutes to play the 18 innings, the second time that particular inning is reached after Game 4 of the 2004 NLDS. Jordan Zimmermann comes within one out of pitching a shutout for the Nats, but is lifted by manager Matt Williams after walking Joe Panik with two outs in the 9th, and closer Drew Storen allows a game-tying double to Pablo Sandoval. No other run is scored until Brandon Belt leads off the top of the 18th with a homer off Tanner Roark. Yusmeiro Petit is the winner after pitching six shutout innings in relief.
  • The Dodgers waste an excellent start by Zack Greinke in Game 2 of the other NLDS when J.P. Howell allows a two-run homer to Matt Carpenter to tie the game in the 8th, but Matt Kemp homers off Pat Neshek to lead off the bottom of the inning and Los Angeles wins, 3 - 2, over the Cardinals, evening the series at one win apiece.
  • Game 4 of the 2014 Holland Series is an exciting 5 - 4 affair, won by the Amsterdam Pirates over DOOR Neptunus. It is the first game of this Holland Series to be won by the hosts. Neptunus builds a 4 - 1 lead after 7 1/2 innings against Dutch great Rob Cordemans but their bullpen blows it. Jorian van Acker and Kevin Kellij allow two runs in the bottom of the 8th, with Neptunus skipper Evert-Jan 't Hoen being ejected for arguing a close call at 1B when Roy van de Wateringen rules Jesse Aussems safe. In the top of the 9th, Neptunus loads the bases with one out but Chris Mowday gets Shurman Marlin to hit into a double play. In the bottom of the 9th, Kenny Berkenbosch draws a one-out walk, then Remco Draijer hits a two-out single, as does Percy Isenia to tie the score. Aussems then comes through again, singling off Kellij to score Draijer with the winning run. Prior to the game, Loek Loevendie is inducted into the Dutch Baseball Hall of Fame, the 49th inductee and first in five years. Loevendie is noted as a youth baseball coach and promoter in Amsterdam, having worked with Rikkert Faneyte, Marcel Joost, Haitze de Vries and Tonny Cohen among other notables, with over 100 of his players making it to the top Dutch league and/or the Dutch national team.
• 2015:
  • Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers becomes the first pitcher to strike out 300 batters in a season since teammates Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson did so in 2002. Kershaw picks up seven K's in an abbreviated start against the Padres to finish with 301 for the year.
  • The Astros claim the final available postseason slot in spite of losing to the Diamondbacks, 5 - 3, thanks to the Rangers' 9 - 2 win over the Angels. They will face the Yankees in the Wild Card Game for their first postseason appearance since moving to the American League.
  • Dennis Sarfate throws a 1-2-3 9th inning to finish Yuito Mori's 5 - 4 win for the Softbank Hawks over the Rakuten Eagles. It is Sarfate's 41st save of the year, breaking Yoshihisa Hirano's one-year-old Pacific League record.
• 2016 - The Blue Jays win the American League Wild Card Game, 5 - 2 in 11 innings over the Orioles. Edwin Encarnacion ends the game with a three-run homer with one out off Ubaldo Jimenez as Orioles manager Buck Showalter decides not to use the best reliever in the majors this year, Zack Britton, keeping him for a save situation that never comes.
• 2017 - The Diamondbacks outlast the Rockies, 11 - 8, in an appropriately wild National League Wild Card Game. Arizona is up 3 - 0 on a homer by Paul Goldschmidt before Rockies starter Jon Gray has recorded an out, and adds a run in the 2nd and a two-run homer by Daniel Descalso in the 3rd to make it 6 - 0. However, Colorado chases Zack Greinke with four runs in the 4th and closes to within one run before pitcher Archie Bradley stuns everyone with a two-out, two-run triple off Pat Neshek in the bottom of the 7th. But, undaunted, the Rockies strike back, with back-to-back homers by Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story off Bradley in the 8th to move to within one run before Arizona adds three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Colorado manages one last run off closer Fernando Rodney in the 9th, but it's not enough to change the final result.
• 2018:
  • The Brewers win Game 1 of the NLDS, 3 - 2 over Colorado, but not before the Rockies give them a scare. The Brew Crew leads 2 - 0 on a 3rd-inning homer by Christian Yelich heading into the 9th, but Jeremy Jeffress gives up a pair of runs, and the Rockies miss a chance to take the lead when Charlie Blackmon is caught in a rundown between third and home. In the 10th, Mike Moustakas drives in Yelich with a two-out single for the game-winning run.
  • In the other NLDS, the Dodgers defeat the Braves, 6 - 0, as Joc Pederson leads off the bottom of the 1st with a homer off Mike Foltynewicz and Max Muncy follows with a three-run shot in the 2nd. Hyun-Jin Ryu pitches seven innings for the win.
• 2019:
  • In the first of four postseason games played today, Justin Verlander turns in a dominant performance as the Astros defeat the Rays, 6 - 2, in Game 1 of the ALDS. Verlander allows just one hit in seven innings while striking out eight, and Jose Altuve breaks a scoreless tie with a two-run homer off Tyler Glasnow in the 5th. Two more runs score that inning when 2B Brandon Lowe drops a pop-up with two on and two out, and the Rays never have a chance to come back.
  • In the NLDS, the Braves get a great outing from Mike Foltynewicz, who throws seven scoreless innings, to defeat St. Louis, 3 - 0, in Game 2. Jack Flaherty allows a 1st-inning run but also cruises along after that until surrendering a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Adam Duvall with two outs in the 7th. Mark Melancon, coming off a dreadful night in Game 1, picks up the save as the two teams are tied at one win apiece.
  • Game 1 of the Division Series between the Twins and Yankees features 15 runs, five homers and 13 pitchers - and a familiar result as New York beats Minnesota for the 11th straight time in a postseason confrontation, 10 - 4. All five homers - three by the Twins - are solo shots, but the deciding blows are a pair of doubles with the bases loaded, one by Gleyber Torres off Tyler Duffey in the 5th that scores two runs, and another by D.J. LeMahieu off Kyle Gibson that clears the bases in the 7th.
  • In the final game of the day, the Nationals even the other NLDS with a 4 - 2 win over the Dodgers. They get a terrific performance from Stephen Strasburg, who gives up just one run in six innings while striking out ten, and take advantage of yet another shaky postseason start by Clayton Kershaw to score three runs in the first two innings. Manager Dave Martinez makes a bold move, calling on ace starter Max Scherzer to pitch the 8th in what is a must-win game, and he strikes out the side on 14 pitches. Daniel Hudson loads the bases with two outs in the 9th, but strikes out Corey Seager to end the game.
• 2021 - The first manager to lose his job this off-season is Luis Rojas of the Mets, in a widely expected move - including by Rojas himself. The Mets want to name a completely new management team, after years of underperforming amidst a constant soap opera atmosphere.
• 2022:
  • Aaron Judge sets a new American League record for most home runs in one season by hitting #62 off Jesus Tinoco in a 3 - 2 Yankees loss to the Rangers in the second game of a doubeheader at Globe Life Field. The blast comes as he is the first batter of the game, in the Yankees' penultimate game this season.
  • The Panamanian national team wins one of the spots in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic Qualifier that they are hosting, they cruise, not allowing a single run. In today's game, Ariel Jurado and four relievers combine on a three-hitter against Brazil (which had upset them two qualifiers prior). Jose Ramos and Edgar Munoz go deep for Panama in a 4 - 0 win.
• 2023:
  • Both Wild Card Series in the AL end after two games today. The Rangers easily defeat the Rays, 7 - 1, in the Second Series as homers by Adolis Garcia and Evan Carter support a strong pitching performance by Nathan Eovaldi. For their part, the Twins defeat the Blue Jays, 2 - 0, in the first series, scoring twice in the 4th inning after the Jays remove starter José Berríos early and the Jays' batters manage to score only once over the two games.
  • The two NL Wild Card Series also end after two games. In the first series, the Brewers take a 2 - 0 lead against Zac Gallen in the 1st inning, but the Diamondbacks reply with five runs in the 5th and 6th innings, while Milwaukee is unable to score again, for a 5 - 2 final score. In the second series, Philadelphia takes control early, scoring twice in the 3rd, and a grand slam by Bryson Stott in the 6th puts the game away as they defeat the Marlins, 7 - 1.
• 2024 - The Reds lure Terry Francona out of retirement, as he agrees to a three-year contract to succeed David Bell as the team's manager, after Bell was fired with one week to go in the season.

Births

• 1851 - Orator Shafer, outfielder (d. 1922)
• 1858 - Ossie France, pitcher (d. 1947)
• 1860 - Mark Polhemus, outfielder (d. 1923)
• 1861 - John Leighton, outfielder (d. 1956)
• 1863 - Bill Finley, catcher/outfielder (d. 1912)
• 1863 - Jim Halpin, infielder (d. 1893)
• 1864 - Bill Wright, catcher (d. 1940)
• 1864 - Luke Lutenberg, infielder (d. 1938)
• 1871 - Charlie Jordan, pitcher (d. 1928)
• 1873 - Jim Gardner, pitcher (d. 1905)
• 1875 - Bob McKinney, infielder (d. 1946)
• 1878 - Bob Dresser, pitcher (d. 1924)
• 1879 - Bob Rhoads, pitcher (d. 1967)
• 1884 - Harry Ables, pitcher (d. 1951)
• 1887 - Ray Fisher, pitcher (d. 1982)
• 1889 - Shorty Dee, infielder (d. 1971)
• 1890 - Frank Rooney, infielder (d. 1977)
• 1892 - Delos Brown, pinch hitter (d. 1964)
• 1895 - Ralph Shinners, outfielder (d. 1962)
• 1898 - Frank McCue, infielder (d. 1953)
• 1903 - Lefty Thomas, pitcher (d. 1952)
• 1910 - Frankie Crosetti, infielder; All-Star (d. 2002)
• 1910 - Frank Tabacchi, umpire (d. 1983)
• 1914 - Bruce Sloan, outfielder (d. 1973)
• 1917 - Hal Quick, infielder (d. 1974)
• 1918 - Manny McIntyre, minor league infielder (d. 2011)
• 1918 - Red Munger, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1996)
• 1922 - Don Lenhardt, outfielder (d. 2014)
• 1922 - Yoshimasa Takesue, NPB pitcher (d. 1998)
• 1923 - Tommy Harris, catcher (d. 1991)
• 1925 - Ray Louthen, college coach (d. 2004)
• 1926 - Jaime Abad, minor league outfielder
• 1926 - Senaida Wirth, AAGPBL infielder (d. 1967)
• 1927 - Bob Kelly, pitcher
• 1927 - Rip Repulski, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1993)
• 1930 - Prince Joe Henry, Negro League player (d. 2009)
• 1931 - Joe Kirrene, infielder (d. 2016)
• 1934 - Don Bradey, pitcher
• 1939 - Ted Davidson, pitcher (d. 2006)
• 1943 - Jimy Williams, infielder, manager (d. 2024)
• 1944 - Tony LaRussa, infielder, manager; Hall of Fame
• 1945 - John Duffie, pitcher (d. 2018)
• 1947 - Glenn Adams, designated hitter
• 1947 - Tom Schieffer, owner
• 1948 - Dave Johnson, pitcher
• 1949 - John Wathan, catcher, manager
• 1950 - Ed Halicki, pitcher
• 1951 - Horace Speed, outfielder
• 1953 - Dave Schuler, pitcher
• 1954 - Bill Atkinson, pitcher
• 1954 - Dennis Littlejohn, catcher
• 1955 - Lary Sorensen, pitcher; All-Star
• 1956 - John Guggiana, Serie A1 infielder
• 1956 - Charlie Leibrandt, pitcher
• 1957 - Francisco Laureano, minor league infielder
• 1960 - Larry Acker, minor league pitcher
• 1960 - Joe Boever, pitcher
• 1960 - Billy Hatcher, outfielder
• 1961 - Mike Sharperson, infielder; All-Star (d. 1996)
• 1962 - Dennis Cook, pitcher
• 1962 - Tony Ferreira, pitcher
• 1962 - Chris James, outfielder
• 1963 - Bruce Ruffin, pitcher
• 1963 - Delwyn Young Sr., minor league infielder
• 1964 - John Kiely, pitcher
• 1964 - Mark McLemore, infielder
• 1965 - Francesco Casolari, Italian Baseball League outfielder
• 1965 - Steve Olin, pitcher (d. 1993)
• 1966 - Tim Mauser, pitcher
• 1966 - Mike Walker, pitcher
• 1967 - Roger Pavlik, pitcher; All-Star
• 1967 - Mathias Winterrath, Bundesliga player and manager
• 1970 - René Espín, Cuban league pitcher
• 1970 - Todd Takayoshi, minor league catcher and manager
• 1971 - Carlos Crawford, pitcher
• 1971 - Glen Cullop, minor league pitcher
• 1971 - Jeff Sexton, minor league player
• 1972 - Adam Riggs, infielder
• 1974 - Magnus Jönsson‎‎, Elitserien infielder
• 1977 - Jimmy Alvarez, minor league infielder and manager
• 1977 - Atsushi Fujimoto, NPB infielder
• 1977 - Bobby Scales, infielder
• 1978 - Kyle Lohse, pitcher
• 1978 - Eiichi Hirai, Japanese national team pitcher
• 1978 - Daylan Holt, minor league outfielder
• 1978 - Masaru Yoshizaki, NPB pitcher
• 1979 - Brad Cook, college coach
• 1979 - Jim Kavourias, minor league outfielder
• 1979 - Jovanny Sosa, minor league outfielder
• 1981 - Victor Ramos, minor league pitcher
• 1981 - Joe Thatcher, pitcher
• 1982 - Tony Gwynn, outfielder
• 1982 - Ryan Sadowski, pitcher
• 1982 - Jered Weaver, pitcher; All-Star
• 1983 - Kurt Suzuki, catcher; All-Star
• 1984 - Drew Stubbs, outfielder
• 1985 - Adam Clerici, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Ryan Ouellette, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Shepherd Sibanda, Zimbabwean national team infielder
• 1986 - Stephen Fife, pitcher
• 1986 - Martin Lukačka, Extraliga outfielder-pitcher
• 1987 - Bo McClendon, minor league outfielder
• 1988 - Lonnie Chisenhall, infielder
• 1989 - Santiago Garrido, minor league pitcher
• 1989 - Casey Kelly, pitcher
• 1989 - Fiordelis Martínez, Puerto Rican women's national team outfielder
• 1990 - Anna Kimbrell, USA women's national team pitcher
• 1990 - Jae-hak Lee, KBO pitcher
• 1990 - Chris O'Dowd, minor league catcher
• 1991 - Alec Asher, pitcher
• 1991 - Xiangcheng Li, China Baseball League infielder
• 1991 - Andrea Pizziconi, minor league pitcher
• 1992 - Ronald Bueno, minor league infielder
• 1993 - Rehman Khalid, Pakistani national team pitcher
• 1993 - Ho-Yin Leung, Hong Kong national team infielder
• 1993 - Ruei-Cheng Yang, CPBL infielder
• 1994 - Nick Miceli, Bundesliga player
• 1994 - Sean Murphy, catcher; All-Star
• 1994 - Shea Spitzbarth, pitcher
• 1995 - Kenya Wakatsuki, NPB catcher
• 1996 - Ming-Hsiang Chang, CPBL pitcher
• 1996 - Edgar Garcia, pitcher
• 1996 - Jackson Kowar, pitcher
• 1996 - Franko Vrlić Kovačić, Croatian national team pitcher-outfielder
• 1997 - Filip Smola, Extraliga infielder
• 1997 - Harvin Talavera, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
• 1998 - Oneil Cruz, infielder
• 2000 - Ky Hampton, Australian national team pitcher
• 2000 - Jace Jung, infielder
• 2002 - Ryuki Watarai, NPB outfielder

Deaths

• 1891 - Mort Dawson, umpire (b. 1848)
• 1907 - Frank Leary, pitcher (b. 1881)
• 1911 - Emil Geiss, infielder (b. 1865)
• 1912 - George Knight, pitcher (b. 1855)
• 1918 - Phil Routcliffe, outfielder (b. 1870)
• 1927 - John Richter, infielder (b. 1873)
• 1934 - Nixey Callahan, outfielder, manager (b. 1874)
• 1936 - Hercules Burnett, outfielder (b. 1865)
• 1938 - Fred Doe, pitcher (b. 1864)
• 1941 - Walt Justis, pitcher (b. 1883)
• 1946 - John Woods, pitcher (b. 1898)
• 1952 - Bill Zimmerman, outfielder (b. 1887)
• 1955 - Stan Baumgartner, pitcher (b. 1894)
• 1956 - Jake Gettman, outfielder (b. 1875)
• 1960 - Jack Warhop, pitcher (b. 1884)
• 1961 - Roy Golden, pitcher (b. 1888)
• 1965 - Harvey MacDonald, outfielder (b. 1898)
• 1966 - Mike Tresh, catcher; All-Star (b. 1914)
• 1967 - Ed Barney, outfielder (b. 1890)
• 1979 - Fred Graf, infielder (b. 1889)
• 1979 - Ray Wolf, infielder (b. 1904)
• 1981 - Freddie Lindstrom, infielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1905)
• 1982 - Red Barron, outfielder (b. 1900)
• 1984 - Joe Marty, outfielder (b. 1913)
• 1990 - Vance Dinges, infielder (b. 1915)
• 1992 - Augie Prudhomme, pitcher (b. 1902)
• 1996 - Joe Hoerner, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1936)
• 1997 - Chris Priest, minor league outfielder (b. 1971)
• 1998 - Lee Grissom, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1907)
• 2000 - Chuck Oertel, outfielder (b. 1931)
• 2005 - Lester Lockett, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1912)
• 2007 - Don Nottebart, pitcher (b. 1936)
• 2009 - Barry Lersch, pitcher (b. 1944)
• 2010 - Harold Cooper, minor league executive (b. 1923)
• 2010 - Ben Mondor, minor league owner (b. ????)
• 2011 - Ralph Hodgin, outfielder (b. 1915)
• 2014 - Charles Grimes, minor league outfielder (b. 1931)
• 2016 - Gair Allie, infielder (b. 1931)
• 2016 - Doug Slaten, pitcher (b. 1980)
• 2019 - Bob Tufts, pitcher (b. 1955)
• 2020 - Tsutomu Edamura, NPB outfielder (b. 1933)
• 2021 - Eddie Robinson, infielder; All-Star (b. 1920)
• 2022 - Eleanor Moore, AAGPBL pitcher (b. 1933)
• 2023 - Wayne Comer, outfielder (b. 1944)