On the last day of the season, Expo left-hander Ross Grimsley becomes the first 20-game winner in franchise history when he throws a five-hitter, beating St. Louis at Busch Stadium, 5-1. The 28 year-old southpaw, who finishes 20-11 for the fourth-place club, will compile a 124-99 (.556) record pitching for the Reds, Orioles, and Montreal during his 11-year major league career.
On the last day of the season at Qualcomm Stadium, Ozzie Smith does his signature flip for the first time. The Padres shortstop, asked by the club to do it for Fans Appreciation Day, will continue his gymnastic prowess as a member of the Cardinals, with the somersault becoming an Opening Day tradition at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Eventual NL Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry becomes the third major league pitcher, joining Walter Johnson (1923) and Bob Gibson (1974), to record 3,000 career strikeouts. The 40 year-old future Hall of Fame right-hander fans Joe Simpson, who will later become better known as a Braves’ broadcaster, in the eighth inning to reach the milestone, and will strike out the LA left fielder again in the tenth to finish the season with 3001.
The Yankees top the Indians, 7 – 0, behind Ed Figueroa’s 20th win of the year. The Yanks clinch a tie for the pennant.
At Three Rivers Stadium, the Phillies clinch their third consecutive NL East title, defeating the Pirates, 10-8. The victory, which features winning pitcher Randy Lerch hitting two home runs, snaps Pittsburgh’s 24-game home winning streak.
At Fenway Park, Dennis Eckersley notches his 20th win of the year as the Red Sox defeat the Blue Jays, 5 – 1. Eck allows just four hits, including Roy Howell’s 8th homer, in completing his 16th start.
Baltimore 2B Rich Dauer makes his only error of the season in the final game, a 5 – 4 loss to Detroit. Dauer’s 86 games and 425 chances without a miscue are American League records.
On September 29, 1978, Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox becomes the first major leaguer since Joe DiMaggio in 1937 to achieve 400 total bases in a season. Rice collects a single and a double off Jim Clancy to help the Red Sox defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-0. Rice will eventually win the…
When starting second baseman Willie Randolph suffered a hamstring injury and had to miss the 1978 playoffs, the New York Yankees needed someone to step up in his place. Enter Brian Doyle. A 24-year-old originally from Cave City, Kentucky, Doyle had been a five-year minor league journeyman in the Texas Rangers’ organization and…
1978 – J.R. Richard becomes the first righthander in league history to reach 300 strikeouts during a 4-3 victory over Atlanta. He whiffs six to tally 303 for the season . J.R. also belts a homer off Larry McWilliams in the third. A double by Reggie Baldwinand a single by Rafael Landestoy in the seventh key the winning rally.