Joe Niekro and Dave Smith combine on a two-hitter to blank San Diego, 3-0

1981 – Joe Niekro and Dave Smith combine on a two-hitter to blank San Diego, 3-0. Niekro and Steve Mura trade goose eggs for seven innings until Tony Scott drives home Joe Pittman in the eighth. Gary Woods then delivers Scott. In the ninth, Scott again plates Pittman with an insurance run. The shutout caps a seven-game road trip to open the “second season”, with the Astros winning five of them. 

jim bibby no hitter

Jim Bibby retires 27 straight after lead off single

On May 19, 1981, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jim Bibby narrowly misses pitching his second career no-hitter when he fires a one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. The massive right-hander allows a leadoff single to Terry Harper before retiring the next 27 batters in a row. Bibby helps himself by hitting two doubles with one run and…

don sutton 53rd shutout

Don Sutton twirls a five-hit shutout to blank St. Louis, 3-0 the 53rd of his career

1981 – Don Sutton twirls a five-hit shutout to blank St. Louis, 3-0. Art Howe adds a two-run homer. Off the field, Mike Ivie is hospitalized for mental exhaustion less than a month after he was traded to Houston for Jeff Leonard and Dave Bergman. Expected to be the cleanup hitter, Ivie bats .237 with no homers in 19 games. He will miss the rest of the season. 

Cleveland’s Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for 8 innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th

Cleveland’s Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for 8 innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th

  Special Memory or Event? Want to have some fun? Advertise your business? Dedicate this page May 6, 1981 – Cleveland’s Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for 8 innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th‚ and Blyleven settles for a 4-1 two-hitter. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@

ron davis

Ron Davis of the New York Yankees strikes out eight consecutive batters

On May 4, 1981, Ron Davis of the New York Yankees strikes out eight consecutive batters in a 4 – 2 victory over the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium. Davis, a hard-throwing reliever, ties Nolan Ryan’s American League record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game.