Bill Gullickson whiffs 18 batters, the most strikeouts ever recorded by a rookie in a major league game. The Expos right-hander throws a complete-game four-hitter, beating Chicago at Olympic Stadium, 4-2.
1980 – Reds fireballer Mario Soto strikes out 15 Braves in a 7 – 1 Reds win in Atlanta.
Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends Ferguson Jenkins as a result of the drug arrest last month. The suspension will last only two weeks before an independent arbiter surprisingly reinstates the Cubs right-hander.
1980 – The Oakland A’s pitch their major league-record 78th complete game of the season as Steve McCatty beats the Orioles, 5 – 2.
1980 – Art Howe ties a club record with his eighth consecutive hit, a two-run single that paces a 9-5 win over St. Louis. A grand slam by Jose Cruz highlights the 6-4 nightcap for a twinbill sweep , drawing the Astros to within one game of the Dodgers for the N.L. West lead. Vern Ruhle goes the distance in the second game. Ruhle’s performance while replacing J.R. Richard after his stroke keeps the Astros in the pennant race.
1980 – Houston sweeps two from the Cardinals‚ winning 9 – 5 and 6 – 4‚ to move 2 games behind Los Angeles‚ the NL West leaders. Jose Cruz wins the second game with a grand slam.
George Bamberger (235-180, .556) announces he will step down as the Brewers skipper after tomorrow’s game after spending 2+ seasons with Milwaukee. ‘Bambi’, who will return to the club in 1985 after a two-year stint with the Mets, is replaced in the dugout by Buck Rodgers.
On the final day of the season, PawSox infielder Wade Boggs loses the International League batting title when he grounds out to first base in his final turn at-bat of the season. The plate appearance is necessitated when the Mud Hens, who are ahead 6-0, issue a two-out intentional walk in the ninth inning to light-hitting Ray Boyer, who makes every attempt to be put out to end the game, but is allowed to stroll around the bases and score on a deliberate error by the Toledo pitcher, forcing Boggs to make one last unnecessary plate appearance that will put him .007 of a percentage point behind Dave Engle, who plays in the outfield for the opponents.
1980 – Tigers OF Al Cowens and White Sox reliever Ed Farmer publicly end their long-running feud by shaking hands at home plate prior to Chicago’s 11 – 3 win at Tiger Stadium. The feud began in 1979 when Farmer broke Cowens’ jaw with a pitch‚ and flared again this June 20th when Cowens hit a ground ball off Farmer and attacked the pitcher instead of running to first base. Cowens was suspended for 7 games and a warrant was issued for his arrest in Illinois‚ forcing him to skip the previous week’s Tigers-White Sox series in Chicago. Farmer agreed to drop the charges in exchange for a handshake‚ and the two players bring out the lineup cards before today’s game.
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