1990 – Kevin Appier fires a shutout for the last-place Royals, beating Roger Clemens and the Red Sox, 5 – 0. The Sox take the nitecap, 3 – 1, scoring a pair on Mike Greenwell’s two-run homer off starter Luis Aquino.
A day after setting a major-league record for triple plays, the Twins and Red Sox set one for double plays. The Red Sox hit into six double plays, while the Twins ground into four to set the major league record, as the Red Sox win again, 5 – 4. The previous mark of nine twin killings was last accomplished on April 15, 1961.
Arbitrator George Nicolau rules in favor of the Players Association saying that the 26 major league owners colluded and were aware of a databank that detailed 1987 salary offers. The owners will be forced to pay significant damages to the affected players.
Minnesota becomes the first team in history to turn two triple plays in the same game. Both are started on grounders to 3B Gary Gaetti, who has started five of the Twins’ last six triple killings. The Twins’ triple killings aren’t enough as the team loses to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 1 – 0.
Jack McKeon resigns as manager of the Padres but keeps his position as San Diego’s vice president of baseball operations. He is replaced in the dugout by Greg Riddoch. Later in the season, McKeon will lose his front-office job as well.
At the half-way mark in the season, the Reds are leading the NL West by eight games, while Pittsburgh is 1/2 game ahead in the East. In the American League, Boston leads by half a game and Oakland by one game.
Six American League pitchers combine for a two-hitter and a 2 – 0 victory over the National League in a rain-delayed All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. Rangers 2B Julio Franco drives in both runs in the 7th inning and is named MVP.
Losing 7 – 0 to California in the 3rd, the Brewers score 20 unanswered runs, including 13 in the 5th, to win. This is the biggest swing of runs since 1980 and will not be topped in the 1990s. Looking for his 279th win, Bert Blyleven starts for the Angels but never makes it out of the 4th. He’ll win only once more the rest of the year.
In his first start since losing a no-hitter, Andy Hawkins pitches 11 2/3 innings of shutout ball only to lose in the 12th, 2 – 0 to the Twins. Hawkins is now 1-6.
On July 2, 1990 Nolan Ryan strikes out seven batters in a 3 – 2 loss to the Red Sox. This gives him a record 22 seasons with at least 100 strikeouts. He had shared the record of 21 with Don Sutton. Source: Baseball Reference July 2
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