Any time a team goes on a road trip to two parks in the same city … and another team gets 10 runs behind and still wins … and another team sets a record for, well, tallness … uh, let's just say those are the kinds of things that tend to catch the Useless Information Department's interest.
So let there be uselessness:
Take 10 Dept.: It still seems just about impossible that a team could get behind 10-zip and win. But the Indians did it Monday in maybe the wackiest game of the year. Among our favorite highlights:
• So which was the last team before the Indians to finish off a 10-run comeback with at least a seven-run ninth? ESPN's fabulous research crew reports that John Kruk's Phillies did it on Aug. 21, 1990, in Dodger Stadium. The Phillies trailed 11-1 in the eighth inning and were still eight runs down in the ninth -- then scored nine in the top of the ninth to win 12-11.
• OK, but when was the last time the home team came from 10 runs back to win and scored at least seven runs in the bottom of the ninth? How about on the first day in the entire life of the American League -- back on April 25, 1901. Kid Elberfield's Detroit Tigers were 10 down in the eighth (13-3), then scored once in the eighth inning and 10 times in the ninth to upend Jiggs Donahue's old Milwaukee Brewers 14-13. And it took nearly another 140,000 American League games for that to happen again. Amazing.
• And when was the last time the Indians scored seven times in the bottom of the ninth to win any game? It was almost that long ago -- on May 23, 1901. They put up a 9-spot in the ninth that day to beat Pop Foster's Washington Senators 14-13.
• As loyal reader Eric Orns pointed out, the man who got the winning hit in this game, Victor Martinez, had a walk-off hit and made an out in the same inning. The last time that happened, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: May 13, 2007. Julio Lugo made the first out of the ninth inning for the Red Sox that day, in a game in which the Orioles led 5-0 at the time. Then Lugo watched the whole lineup turn and capped off a six-run ninth with a two-run single off Chris Ray.
• And one more Eric Orns nugget: Each team scored at least 10 unanswered runs in this game -- 10 by the Rays, then 11 by the Indians. Hard to do, friends.
Chicago, Chicago Dept.: Talk about your tough commutes. The Pirates are in the midst of a trip that takes them from Chicago to, well, Chicago. They played three games this past weekend on the South Side against the White Sox, then took the "L" north for three more against the Cubs. According to Elias, they're the first team to play back-to-back "full" series against both Chicago teams. The only close call: Two years ago, the Astros played a series against the White Sox, then stuck around for a makeup game against the Cubs.
Tall Tales Dept.: The Marlins will inch their way toward history Tuesday night. According to Florida PR genius Matt Roebuck, they'll become the first team in history to have pitchers 6-foot-7 or taller start four consecutive games (assuming all the listed heights are accurate). The big four: Sean West (6-8) started Saturday. Josh Johnson (6-7) went Sunday. Chris Volstad (6-8) followed him Monday. Andrew Miller (6-7) was the man assigned to take this group to new heights Tuesday. Tremendous.
Career Month Dept.: Joe Mauer has made even more astounding history. His 11 homers this month are two more bombs than he hit all last season in 536 at-bats. With the help of the Sultan of Swat Stats, SABR's incomparable David Vincent, we determined that Mauer is the first player in history to hit 10 homers or fewer in that many at-bats one year, then hit more homers just in one calendar month the next year. The closest previous call: Robin Ventura (493 at-bats) in 1990-91.
Tag Team Dept.: Meanwhile, Mauer and Justin Morneau have six games left this month to break the record for teammates homering the most times in the same game in a single calendar month. Mauer and Morneau have already gone deep in the same game six times this month. The record, according to the Sultan: seven, by Dusty Baker and Steve Garvey in June 1980 and by Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro in August 2003. You May fans will be thrilled to know that Mauer and Morneau are the first duo to do this six times in the merry month of May.
Lightning Round Dept.: More fun tidbits:
• Orioles reliever Danys Baez got the first hit of his big league life in the 12th inning Friday in Washington. Baez is the first American League pitcher to get a hit that late in a game since the Royals' Joel Peralta also got a hit in the 12th on May 20, 2007, in Colorado. But unlike Peralta, Baez actually scored the winning run.
• Loyal reader Julian McCracken reports that the Phillies went into Yankee Stadium this past weekend and had their three starting pitchers -- Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels -- issue zero walks. The last rotation to do that to the Yankees on three straight days in New York: the 1990 Red Sox (Greg Harris, Roger Clemens and the unforgettable Dana Kiecker) on June 12-14.
• By the way, the Phillies won more games this past weekend in the new Yankee Stadium (two) than they had won in franchise history in the old Yankee Stadium (one). Of course, they had played there only eight times -- even counting the 1950 World Series.
• In Sunday's Astros-Rangers game, the Astros used only two pitchers -- Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz. Each of them threw exactly 75 pitches and exactly 47 strikes. What are the odds?
• Has there been a streakier team than the Padres? Well, no, as a matter of fact. Padres PR whiz Warren Miller reports (via Elias) that until the Padres won in Arizona on Monday, they would become the first team in modern history to find itself working on a double-digit home winning streak (10 in a row) and a double-digit road losing streak (11 in a row) at the same time.
• Padres pitcher Chris Young has given up five home runs to the Cubs this year in two starts. In all his other starts this year, he has faced 201 hitters -- and allowed one home run (to Chase Utley).
• Loyal reader Jim McLennan reports that Dan Uggla hit homers off the same relief pitcher (Jon Rauch) in both ends of Wednesday's Marlins-Diamondbacks doubleheader. According to the Sultan, Uggla is only the fifth player since World War II to homer off the same pitcher in both games of a doubleheader. The others: Willie Mays off Vern Law (Sept. 20, 1955), Gus Bell off Bob Miller (May 6, 1956), Ron Fairly off Mike Corkins (April 28, 1970) and Travis Fryman off Roberto Hernandez (April 13, 1997).
• Loyal reader Kris Breuing reports that the Twins just did the near-impossible: They finished a 1-6 road trip in which they actually outscored their opponents (42-35). Of course, they couldn't have done it without that 20-1 game in Chicago, but whatever!
• Finally, loyal reader Kirby Fields found this fun fact. On Monday, we had players go 1-for-1 (several), 2-for-2 (ditto), 3-for-3 (Jeff Keppinger), 4-for-4 (Ichiro), 5-for-5 A-Rod and 6-for-6 (Freddy Sanchez). Has that happened before? Let us know, at uselessinfodept@yahoo.com or at Twitter (@jaysonst).
Jayson Stark
