California’s Nolan Ryan strikes out 12, including the side in the 1st, and hurls his first career no-hitter in beating Kansas City, 3 – 0. For C Jeff Torborg, it is his third no-hitter. SS Rudy Meoli preserves the no-no with a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the 8th. It is the first of a record seven no-hitters the “Ryan Express” will throw during his career, including another one in two months.
Milwaukee beats the Indians, 2 – 1, on Dave May’s home run in the bottom of the 17th inning. It is May’s 10th home run of the season, one more than he had in 1972.
On Opening Day in Oakland, A’s outfielder Reggie Jackson becomes the first player in fifty-eight years to wear a mustache during the regular season. The last time facial hair was worn in a major league game was in 1914 when Wally Schang had hair above his lip catching for Philadelphia Athletics.
On May 15, 1971, Hall of Fame outfielder Leon “Goose” Goslin dies at the age of 70. The former Washington Senators’ and Detroit Tigers’ star batted .316 over an 18-year major league career and hit seven home runs in World Series play. Goslin won election to the Hall of Fame in 1968.
Fergie Jenkins (7-2) pitches and bats the Cubs to a 6 – 4 win over San Diego. Jenkins hits a two-run home run and finishes his 7th game in eight starts. Billy Williams connects for his 300th home run.
After the Mets have a day off, ace Tom Seaver matches Gary Gentry by allowing one hit in beating the Phillies and Woodie Fryman, 4 – 0. The two consecutive one-hitters tie a major league record.
After going 0-4 on Opening Day, Rico Carty proceeds to get a hit in 31 straight games. This season’s batting champ’s sixth-inning RBI single at Crosley Field sets the record for the longest hitting streak for the Braves since the franchise relocated to Atlanta.
Willie Horton leaves the Detroit bench during a 2 – 1 win against Chicago and goes AWOL for four days.
The first American League game played in Milwaukee since 1901 is a 4 – 2 California win against Chicago before 23,403 fans. Rain shortens the game to five innings. This is the first of the nine games the White Sox will play in Milwaukee this year.
Steve Carlton outduels Steve Blass as St. Louis edges Pittsburgh, 1 – 0, giving the defending World Champs their 4th win in 5 tries and leaving them atop the National League at 20-10, 3 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco. In the next two weeks, the Cards will go into their only significant slump of the season; by May 29th, they’ll have lost 11 of 13 and fallen to 4th place, 3 behind the league-leading Giants.
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