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

ByTom

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. 

Dave Kingman’s home run, a monstrous blast estimated to have travelled 515 feet, is, and will remain, the longest round-tripper ever hit in the 44-year history of Shea Stadium. Kong’s tape-measure home run, a solo shot over the left-center wall, comes in the fourth inning off Larry Christenson in the Mets’ 8-4 loss to Philadelphia.

Dave Kingman’s home run, a monstrous blast estimated to have travelled 515 feet, is, and will remain, the longest round-tripper ever hit in the 44-year history of Shea Stadium. Kong’s tape-measure home run, a solo shot over the left-center wall, comes in the fourth inning off Larry Christenson in the Mets’ 8-4 loss to Philadelphia.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Dave Kingman’s home run, a monstrous blast estimated to have travelled 515 feet, is, and will remain, the longest round-tripper ever hit in the 44-year history of Shea Stadium. Kong’s tape-measure home run, a solo shot over the left-center wall, comes in the fourth inning off Larry Christenson in the Mets’ 8-4 loss to Philadelphia.

Jeff Burroughs hits three home runs off three different pitchers in the Mariners’ 13-3 defeat over Minnesota in the second game of a doubleheader. The M’s right fielder drives in six runs with his two-run, three-run, and solo round-trippers in the Metropolitan Stadium contest to help salvage a split of the twin bill.

ByBaseball

Jeff Burroughs hits three home runs off three different pitchers in the Mariners’ 13-3 defeat over Minnesota in the second game of a doubleheader. The M’s right fielder drives in six runs with his two-run, three-run, and solo round-trippers in the Metropolitan Stadium contest to help salvage a split of the twin bill.

Ray Searage pitches two-plus innings of hitless relief to be credited with the win in New York’s 4-2 victory over Chicago at Wrigley Field. The southpaw, with his eighth-inning single, gains the distinction of being the only Met player to have compiled a 1.000 batting average (1-for-1) and a 1.000 winning percentage (1-0) while playing with the team.

ByBaseball

Ray Searage pitches two-plus innings of hitless relief to be credited with the win in New York’s 4-2 victory over Chicago at Wrigley Field. The southpaw, with his eighth-inning single, gains the distinction of being the only Met player to have compiled a 1.000 batting average (1-for-1) and a 1.000 winning percentage (1-0) while playing with the team.

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1981 – Baseball’s “second season” begins after a two-month strike interrupts play. Denny Walling is the hero with a two-run pinch-hit double off Al Holland in the ninth for a 6-5 triumph in San Francisco. Joe “Shoes” Pittman rescues Frank Lacorte when he makes a diving stab of Larry Herndon’s liner with two men aboard for the final out. 

ByTom

1981 – Baseball’s “second season” begins after a two-month strike interrupts play. Denny Walling is the hero with a two-run pinch-hit double off Al Holland in the ninth for a 6-5 triumph in San Francisco. Joe “Shoes” Pittman rescues Frank Lacorte when he makes a diving stab of Larry Herndon’s liner with two men aboard for the final out. 

Seattle’s Julio Cruz is caught stealing by California’s Ed Ott on a pitchout, ending his consecutive stolen base streak at 32. Cruz tied the American League record set by Willie Wilson.

ByBaseball

Seattle’s Julio Cruz is caught stealing by California’s Ed Ott on a pitchout, ending his consecutive stolen base streak at 32. Cruz tied the American League record set by Willie Wilson.

1981 the largest crowd in All-Star Game history watches the National League defeat the American League

1981 the largest crowd in All-Star Game history watches the National League defeat the American League

ByThis Day in Baseball

On August 9, 1981, coming back from the players strike, the largest crowd in All-Star Game history watches the National League defeat the American League, 5-4, at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. Playing in front of a throng of 72,086 fans, future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter hits two solo home runs and is named the…