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Billy Wagner is KO’d when Arizona’s Kelly Stinnett swats a line drive off the pitcher’s head

ByThis Day in Baseball

1998 – Billy Wagner is KO’d when Arizona’s Kelly Stinnett swats a line drive off the pitcher’s head . After Houston climbed back from a 7-1 deficit to take an 8-7 lead, a stunned Jay Powell must replace Wagner and gives up a game-tying double. Mike Magnante surrenders the game-winner in a 9-8, eleven-inning loss. Wagner would not return to action until August 9th. 

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1997 – Bill Spiers drills a pinch-hit three-run ninth-inning homer off Mel Rojas to stun the Cubs, 5-3. Darryl Kile wins his 12th of the season. The win puts Houston back at .500, a game behind Pittsburgh in the Central Division race. 

ByTom

1997 – Bill Spiers drills a pinch-hit three-run ninth-inning homer off Mel Rojas to stun the Cubs, 5-3. Darryl Kile wins his 12th of the season. The win puts Houston back at .500, a game behind Pittsburgh in the Central Division race. 

In Cincinnati, Ray Lankford hits two upper-deck homers, a first for Cinergy Field, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7 – 4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

ByBaseball

In Cincinnati, Ray Lankford hits two upper-deck homers, a first for Cinergy Field, to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7 – 4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Kansas City Royals trade OF Jon Nunnally and IF-OF Chris Stynes to the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Hector Carrasco and Scott Service.

ByBaseball

The Kansas City Royals trade OF Jon Nunnally and IF-OF Chris Stynes to the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Hector Carrasco and Scott Service.

Despite a sluggish performance, Hideki Irabu wins his second major league start, leading the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Indians, 12 – 6. Irabu gives up five runs and nine hits in five innings, allowing homers to Tony Fernandez, Marquis Grissom, and Matt Williams. Cecil Fielder, the Yank’s 270-pound DH, tries to score from first on a double and his head-first slide results in a broken right thumb. Fielder will miss eight weeks.

ByBaseball

Despite a sluggish performance, Hideki Irabu wins his second major league start, leading the New York Yankees over the Cleveland Indians, 12 – 6. Irabu gives up five runs and nine hits in five innings, allowing homers to Tony Fernandez, Marquis Grissom, and Matt Williams. Cecil Fielder, the Yank’s 270-pound DH, tries to score from first on a double and his head-first slide results in a broken right thumb. Fielder will miss eight weeks.

Visiting San Francisco scores 13 runs in the 7th inning – the most in the National League since the Dodgers scored 15 in the 1st inning against the Reds in 1952 – to coast to a 16 – 2 win over the Padres. The Giants send 19 men to the plate in the 7th and face 80 pitches in the 52-minute inning. They score seven runs before J.T. Snow grounds out for the first out. Five Giants score two runs each, including starting pitcher Kirk Rueter (6-4). The only player not to score is Snow, who Ks with the bases loaded for the second out.

ByBaseball

Visiting San Francisco scores 13 runs in the 7th inning – the most in the National League since the Dodgers scored 15 in the 1st inning against the Reds in 1952 – to coast to a 16 – 2 win over the Padres. The Giants send 19 men to the plate in the 7th and face 80 pitches in the 52-minute inning. They score seven runs before J.T. Snow grounds out for the first out. Five Giants score two runs each, including starting pitcher Kirk Rueter (6-4). The only player not to score is Snow, who Ks with the bases loaded for the second out.

Cal Ripken is shifted to 3B after playing 2,216 consecutive games at SS for the Baltimore Orioles, but his consecutive game streak remains intact at 2,243 games. Baltimore defeats the Toronto Blue Jays, 8 – 6. Ripken’s replacement at short, Manny Alexander, will manage just a broken-bat single in 18 at bats and after six games at 3B, Cal will return to shortstop.

ByBaseball

Cal Ripken is shifted to 3B after playing 2,216 consecutive games at SS for the Baltimore Orioles, but his consecutive game streak remains intact at 2,243 games. Baltimore defeats the Toronto Blue Jays, 8 – 6. Ripken’s replacement at short, Manny Alexander, will manage just a broken-bat single in 18 at bats and after six games at 3B, Cal will return to shortstop.

After being confiscated in the first inning of the Indians-White Sox contest at Comiskey Park, Albert Belle’s bat, suspected of being corked, is placed in umpire Dave Phillips’ locker for further examination. The theft of the questionable piece of lumber, taken and replaced by a burglar who gains access to the umpire’s room by squirming through an overhead crawl space, a thievery Jason Grimsley confesses to five years later, is immediately discovered when pieces of ceiling tile litter the floor, and the name on the ‘clean’ bat now reads, Paul Sorrento.

ByTom

After being confiscated in the first inning of the Indians-White Sox contest at Comiskey Park, Albert Belle’s bat, suspected of being corked, is placed in umpire Dave Phillips’ locker for further examination. The theft of the questionable piece of lumber, taken and replaced by a burglar who gains access to the umpire’s room by squirming through an overhead crawl space, a thievery Jason Grimsley confesses to five years later, is immediately discovered when pieces of ceiling tile litter the floor, and the name on the ‘clean’ bat now reads, Paul Sorrento.

In the second game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets’ Bret Saberhagen goes 10 innings, striking out 11, giving up five hits and allowing no runs. Consistent with his record-setting season, he walks none.

ByThis Day in Baseball

In the second game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets’ Bret Saberhagen goes 10 innings, striking out 11, giving up five hits and allowing no runs. Consistent with his record-setting season, he walks none.