This Weekend in Baseball History
May 21st, 2018: 19-year-old Juan Soto, making his first start for the Nationals, crushes a pitch from Robbie Erlin of the Padres for a three-run home run -- his first in the major leagues. He's the first teenager to homer in the majors since teammate Bryce Harper during his rookie year, 2012. Soto goes 2-for-4 in a 10-2 Washington victory.
May 21st, 2013: Mike Trout of the Angels hits for the cycle, driving in 5 runs in a 12-0 rout of the Mariners.
May 21st, 2010: The Blue Jays blast six home runs against the Diamondbacks (three by Edwin Encarnacion). But they're all solo shots -- and Toronto winds up losing 8-6.
May 21, 2009: Tony Gwynn, Jr become a Padre, with San Diego sending Jody Gerut to the Brewers. The son of the Padres legend goes onto have his most productive season in San Diego, hitting .27o the rest of the way.
May 21st, 2004: Alex Rodriguez, greeted by a chorus of boos in his first game back in Texas since being traded to the Yankees, belts a two-run homer in his first at-bat (off Joaquin Benoit). But the Rangers get the last laugh and come away with a 9-7 win over the Yankees.
May 21st, 1997: Roger Clemens picks up his 200th career victory, as the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 4-2 in the Bronx. The Rocket, off to a fast start after signing with Toronto as a free agent, raises his record to 8-0.
May 21st, 1996: Ken Griffey, Junior reaches 200 career homers with a three-run, 4th inning blast off Vaughn Eschelman, as the Mariners outscore the Red Sox 13-7 at Fenway Park. (At age 26 and 181 days, Griffey is the seventh player to achieve that milestone. Mel Ott of the New York Giants was the youngest ever to reach the 200 mark at 25 years and 144 days.)
May 21st, 1969: The Mets reach the .500 mark at the latest point of a season in team history as Tom Seaver shuts out the Braves on three hits in a 5-0 victory at Fulton County Stadium.
May 21st, 1967: Whitey Ford, after giving up a run to the Tigers in the bottom of the 1st inning (on an Al Kaline sacrifice fly), tells manager Ralph Houk he'd had enough -- a bone spur made it too painful to pitch. He officially retires on May 30th, Jim Bouton takes over in the 2nd inning but is hit hard in a game Detroit goes on to win 6-4.
May 21st, 1952: The Dodgers score 15 runs in the bottom of the first inning and go onto a 19-1 win over the Reds. Billy Cox, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider (who had the inning's only home run) each come to bat three times in that mega-inning, while Bobby Morgan added home runs in the 3rd and 5th innings. The beneficiary of all those runs: Chris Van Cuyk.
May 21st, 1930: Babe Ruth homers his first three times up in the opener of the Yankees doubleheader against the A's. But his first of two career three-homer games hardly makes for a memorable afternoon at Shibe Park. Red Ruffing and three relievers are hit hard, as the Yankees lose 15-7. (They do no better in the nightcap, as Rube Waddell outpitches Lefty Gomez in a 4-1 Philadelphia victory.)
May 22nd, 1963: Mickey Mantle's homer off Bill Fischer of the A's bounces off the façade high above the right field seats at Yankee Stadium. It's the highlight of an 8 - 7 win over the Kansas City A's.
May 22nd, 1930: The Yankee bats are blazing! The Yankees sweep a doubleheader from the A's in Philadelphia. In the opener, Babe Ruth homers twice, while Lou Gehrig adds four hits in a 10-1 victory. In the nightcap, Gehrig clears the fences three times, the Babe adds another and fellow Hall of Famer contributes four hits, four RBIs and scores five runs in a 20-3 rout.
May 23rd, 2004: Tom Glavine shuts the Rockies out on just one hit. Kit Pellow breaks up the no-no bid with an 8th inning single of the Mets 4 - 0 victory.
May 23rd, 2002: Shawn Green becomes the first Dodger since Gil Hodges (in 1950) to belt four home runs in a game -- and adds a double and single for 19 total bases in a 16-3 rout of the Brewers.
May 23rd, 2001: Derek Jeter has the first five-hit game of his career: three singles a double and a home run in a 7 - 3 Yankee Stadium win over the Red Sox.
May 23rd, 1991: Tommy Greene no-hits the Expos, striking out -- and snaring a hard grounder for the final out -- 10 in the Phillies 2-0 win at Olympic Stadium.
May 23rd, 1991: Kirby Puckett of the Twins becomes the first American League player with a six-hit game during the 1990s. His five singles and a triple aren't enough -- as the Rangers win 10-6 at the Metrodome.
May 23rd, 1970: Bob Gibson strikes out a career regular-season best 16, and outduels fellow future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning in the Cardinals 3-1 victory at Connie Mack Stadium. Dick Allen shares the spotlight smacking a pair of St. Louis homers against his former team
May 23rd, 1962: Joe Pepitone becomes the second Yankee ever to homer twice in the same inning. His pair of 8th inning blasts highlight a 13-7 win over the Kansas City A's. (Joe DiMaggio was the first Yankee to homer twice in an inning, back in 1936.)
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