April 18, 1985 Vince Coleman goes 1 for 3 with two stolen bases in his big league debut. He finishes the year with 110 stolen bases and wins the Rookie of the Year Award and helps the Cardinals make the World Series.
Joe Torre’s Braves set a National League record when they win their 11th straight game to start the season, beating Houston at the Astrodome, 6-5. The eventual NL West Division champs, who will finish the campaign with an 89-73 record, will extend the mark to 13-0 when they add two more victories against Cincinnati at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
On April 18, 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings start the longest game in professional baseball history. The game is suspended at 4:07 AM the next day, and will be resumed in June. The 33-inning contest will last a total of eight hours and 25 minutes.
On April 18, 1981, Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds notches the 3,000th strikeout of his Hall of Fame career. Seaver fans Keith Hernandez of the St. Louis Cardinals, joining Bob Gibson, Walter Johnson, Gaylord Perry, and Nolan Ryan as members of the exclusive pitching club.
After getting ahead in the count 3-0, Reggie Jackson, knowing he has a green light to hit away, feigns to be upset by getting a bogus take sign from third base coach Dick Howser. Oriole right-hander Tippy Martinez, deceived by the batter’s behavior, grooves a fastball down the middle of the plate that the Yankee slugger promptly puts over the fence, giving the Yankees a 4-3 walk-off victory.
Poza Rica Oilers hurler Ricardo Sandate works a Mexican League-record 19 innings but loses a 2 – 0 decision to the Puebla Angels.
In the top of the 11th inning in San Francisco’s 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Candlestick Park, Dave Rader completes an unusual unassisted double play for a catcher. After catching an attempted sacrifice bunt which is popped up with Braves runners on first and second base, the Giants’ backstop races to second base and steps on the bag before Sonny Jackson, who had headed toward third on contact, can get back.
1972 – After the infamous eight-player trade that sent Joe Morgan to Cincinnati, Houston wins the first head-to-head matchup with the Reds, 8-4. Tommy Helms, part of the deal, homers off Don Gullett to spark the attack.
Less than 24 hours after hitting his first two major league home runs, Atlanta rookie Earl Williams becomes the first player ever to reach the upper deck at Veterans Stadium, depositing a 2-and-1 offering from Philly starter Rick Wise “in the first row of the orange seats (middle section) of the upper deck,” tucked just inside the left-field foul pole. The 4th-inning, bases-empty blast ties the game at 2, combining with a red-hot Orlando Cepeda, who goes 5-for-5 with a double, home run and 3 RBI, to lead Atlanta to a third straight win and a series sweep over the lowly Phils.
Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 batters and pitches a one-hitter as the New York Mets defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7 – 0, at Shea Stadium. It is the first shutout of Ryan’s career.
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