June 18th, 2014: Clayton Kershaw's no hitter is a 15-strikeout gem at Dodger Stadium, kept from perfection only by Hanley Ramirez' throwing error on Corey Dickinson's grounder leading off the 7th inning. LA routs the Colorado Rockies 8 - 0.
- Coming three weeks after Josh Beckett' s no-hitter in Philadelphia, it marks just the second time in franchise history the Dodgers have two no-hitters in the same season. The other was 1956, when Carl Erskine and Sal Maglie did the trick for Brooklyn.
June 18th, 2005: Derek Jeter's first career grand slam -- in his 11th big league season -- comes off Joe Borowski and breaks open the Yankees 8-1 win over the Cubs at Yankee Stadium. Jeter later adds icing to the cake with a solo shot in the 8th inning.
June 18th, 1986: Don Sutton reaches 300 wins, firing a complete game as the Angels beat the Rangers 5-1. Ruppert Jones and Brian Downing homer to power the California attack.
June 18th, 1979: With the Yankees struggling at 34-31 (and having dropped just two of three in Texas), George Steinbrenner replaces manager Bob Lemon with Billy Martin -- who begins his second of five separate terms as skipper.
June 18th, 1977: Billy Martin confronts Reggie Jackson in the dugout moments after a poor effort in right field turns a Jim Rice fly ball into a double. With TV cameras capturing the fray -- the skipper and the slugging star scream and threaten each other before being separated by coaches Yogi Berra and Elston Howard. (Boston rolls to a 10-4 Fenway Park win.)
- See it for yourself in this YouTube clip.
June 18th, 1976: Hank Aaron's third home run in as many games is the 750th of his career as his Brewers edge the A's 3-2.
- Off the field: Claiming it was "inconsistent with the best interests of baseball," Commissioner Bowie Kuhn stops a plan by Oakland owner Charles Finley to sell several of his top players -- soon to become free agents -- to the bigger-spending Yankees and Red Sox.
June 18th, 1975: Red Sox rookie sensation Fred Lynn smacks three home runs and adds a triple for a 10-RBI game as Boston crushes the Tigers 15-1.
June 18th, 1967: Orlando Cepeda's two run homer is the big blast as the Cardinals beat the Giants 4-1 at Candlestick Park and move into first place. In a postgame interview, the former San Francisco star admits having a little extra incentive to do well; he "always tries harder" against his old teammates. St. Louis would lead the National League the rest of the way en route to their second pennant (and World Series championship) of the decade. They'll stay atop the league for the rest of the season.
June 18th, 1956: Mickey Mantle -- who came into the day hitting .380, belted his 25th home run in the Yankees 7-4 win over the Tigers -- is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Mick would go on to win the Triple Crown.June 18th, 1953: Giving new meaning to the term 7th inning stretch, the Red Sox score 17 runs in the bottom of the 7th against the Tigers. Boston sends 23 batters to the plate -- tallying 14 hits and six walks in the record-setting inning.
- Leading the charge: Gene Stephens, who sets a major league record with three hits in one inning, while Gernert knocks in four with a three-run homer and a bases-loaded walk.
- The Sox finish with 27 hits and 23 runs. It' too bad that only 3,626 fans were on hand to see 17 major league records broken or tied.
- One name absent from the onslaught -- for good reason -- the greatest hitter in Sox history, Ted Williams was serving in the Korean War.
June 18th, 1948: Robin Roberts makes his major league debut. The rookie is effective, giving up two runs over eight innings. But Pittsburgh's Elmer Riddle shuts out the Phillies on five hits, for a 2-0 victory at Shibe Park.
June 19th, 2015: Alex Rodriguez becomes the 29th major leaguer to reach 3000 hits, when he smacks a solo home run to right field off Justin Verlander in the Yankees 7-2 win in the Bronx.June 19th, 2007: After joking on the bus ride to Shea Stadium that he'll have his head shaved if that night's starter, Johan Santana, threw a shutout, Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven has to face his own music. After Santana shuts out the Mets 9-0, the Minnesota lefthander (and future Met) would have the honor of working the razor on the ex-big leaguer's head.
June 19th, 1995: The Yankees sign Darryl Strawberry as a free agent. The ex-Met becomes a valuable contributor for the rest of the decade, belting 41 home runs in a Yankee uniform.
June 19th, 1989: Doc Gooden becomes the second fastest pitcher to reach 100 career wins. He works the first eight innings of the Mets 5-3 Shea Stadium victory over the Expos to raise his career record to 100-37; only Whitey Ford (100-36) got there in fewer decisions.
June 19th, 1974: Steve Busby of the Royals throws his second no-hitter in 14 months. George Scott of the Brewers walks in the 2nd inning; he's the only base runner in KC's 2-0 victory.
June 19th, 1973: Pete Rose of the Reds and Willie Davis of the Dodgers each reach 2000 career hits in their teams' respective games (against the Giants, and Braves). And Padres rookie (and future Hall of Famer) Dave Winfield gets the first of his 3110 career hits, when he singles against the Astros' Jerry Reuss.
June 19th, 1970: Ball Four is published. Jim Bouton's candid, witty diary of his baseball career is a breakthrough for "tell-all" sports books. The best-seller sets up to the former Yankee's next career as a TV sportscaster.
June 19th, 1968: Steve Carlton fires a one-hit shutout as the Cardinals blank the Cubs 4-0 at Busch Stadium. Orlando Cepeda delivers the big hit, a three-run homer in the bottom of the 3rd.
- While Lefty never threw a no-hitter, this was one of six one-hitters in Carlton's Hall of Fame career/
June 19th, 1846: Alexander Cartwright's New York Knickerbockers and the New York Nine play the first organized baseball game. It takes place not in New York, but at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey -- across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
June 20th, 2015: One out away from a perfect game, Max Scherzer plunks Jose Tabata with a pitch -- which some feel the Pirate outfielder leaned into. Scherzer retires the next batter Josh Harrison to finish off his no-hitter, a 6-0 Nationals win at Pittsburgh.
June 20th, 2009: Jeff Weaver outpitches his younger brother Jered as the Dodgers edge the Angels 6-5 in Anaheim. They're the eighth set of siblings to be opposing starters in a major league game.
June 20th, 2004: Ken Griffey Jr. homers off the Cardinals Matt Morris to become the 20th major leaguer to reach 500 home runs. It's the highlight of a 6-0 Reds victory at Busch Stadium.
June 20th, 2003: Miguel Cabrera's first major league hit is a two-run, 11th inning walk-off homer as the Marlins beat the Devil Rays in Miami.
June 20th, 1980: Freddie Patek becomes the smallest player ever to belt three home runs in a game, as the Angels destroy the Red Sox 20-3 at Fenway Park.
June 20th, 1963: A New York baseball tradition is revived: the first Mayor's Trophy Game since the Dodgers and Giants moved west. It's also Casey Stengel's return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since being fired after the 1960 World Series. Casey's second year Mets shock the World Champs 6-2 in an exhibition game benefiting local sandlot baseball. Before more than 50,000 fans, Jay Hook works the first five innings, and Carl Willey the last four for the Mets. Tim Harkness’ two-run single was the big blow in a five-run third inning rally.
June 20th, 1950: Joe DiMaggio's 2000th career hit comes on a 7th inning single off Marino Pieretti of the Indians. It's one of his three hits in an 8-2 Yankees victory in Cleveland.
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