Yesterday the Reds pitched a no-hitter ... and lost. This is a rare occurrence but in its shadow the White Sox pitched a 2 hitter against the Yankees and not only lost, but lost badly. Losing a 2 hitter is unusual but the Yankees over the years have had some strange games. Here are two of the strangest I'm familiar with. In both cases the Oakland A's were the opponent.
1977: Vida Blue pitches 9 1/3 no hit innings against the Yanks ... and eventually lost.
This was weird for a number of reasons. This was Ron Guidry's first or second start. Vida Blue started and the Yankees uncharacteriscally got to him for 2 runs in the first. After that he pitched 9 1/3 no hit innings before finally being lifted in the 11th inning. On the other side, Guidry pitched 8 shutout innings before faltering in the 9th and giving up 2 runs to tie it. Sparky Lyle, normally their closer came in and pitched SEVEN INNINGS and eventually got the win.
1988: Neil Allen's "Complete Game Shutout"
I was at the stadium for this one ! A preamble in in order here. In 1917 Babe Ruth started a game for the Red Sox, walked the first batter, got into it with the umpire and got tossed. He was relieved by Ernie Shore. The baserunner was caught stealing and Shore proceeded to retire the next 26 batters. At the time he was credited with a perfect game although much later on the scoring rules were changed.
Fast forward to this game. Al Leiter was the starting pitcher. The first batter struck Leiter with a line drive and got a base hit. Leiter had to leave. Neil Allen relieved and finished the game without giving up a run. Using the Ruth/Shore precedent he was credited with a complete game/shutout at the time.
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Still the best candy bar I've ever had
As bad as the "bad old days" got, I forgot about the outfield hijinks in this one.
Andy Hawkins throws a no hitter and loses. - ( New Window )
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Remember Felix Heridia, aka "The Run Fairy" ? One game against the Red Sox he came in the bases loaded, nobody out and got out of it without a run. I believe this was the same game Jeter jumped into the stands. I forget the name of the reliever who served up the winning hit to, of all people John Flahretty .
In 1985 I was at another game at the stadium where Boston blew a lead to send a game into extras. Lance McCullers, who was normally terrible started the 10th and walked the bases loaded but somehow got out of the inning without giving up a run. In the bottom half Boston returned the favor by loading the bases. They bought in Bob Stanley to pitch to Willie Randolph. I distinctly remember every Boston fan got up and left at that moment. The first three pitches weren't even close. He then threw one that looked to me to be right down broadway. Ball 4. Yankees win. The Ump admitted after the game he may have missed the call.
Years later, I was at Reggie Jackson day, when they retired his number and the gave out new, limited edition Reggie Bars. Again, I wasn't giving mine up, but somewhere along the line, my plan to preserve it went astray.
As an aside, my first piece of sports memorabilia, in a very limited collection, was a baseball from Reggie. I wanted to invite him to my Bar Mitzvah, but my parents never did. However, my mom had a colleague who was involved with some organization/charity he was the celebrity spokesperson for. So, for my Bar Mitzvah in 1985, she gave me a 1983 WS ball (odd, because he did not play in that WS), signed by Reggie, wishing me a Happy Bar Mitzvah. I still have it.
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You can almost write a book about Boston relief pitchers who found a way to lose to the Yankees, and otherwise mediocre Yankee players becoming heroes.
Remember Felix Heridia, aka "The Run Fairy" ? One game against the Red Sox he came in the bases loaded, nobody out and got out of it without a run. I believe this was the same game Jeter jumped into the stands. I forget the name of the reliever who served up the winning hit to, of all people John Flahretty .
In 1985 I was at another game at the stadium where Boston blew a lead to send a game into extras. Lance McCullers, who was normally terrible started the 10th and walked the bases loaded but somehow got out of the inning without giving up a run. In the bottom half Boston returned the favor by loading the bases. They bought in Bob Stanley to pitch to Willie Randolph. I distinctly remember every Boston fan got up and left at that moment. The first three pitches weren't even close. He then threw one that looked to me to be right down broadway. Ball 4. Yankees win. The Ump admitted after the game he may have missed the call.
I was at that 1985 game. McCullers didnt come to the Yanks till 1989 in the Jack Clark trade. That 1985 game I remember Yanks trailing 4-3 and Mike Pagliarulo hit a game tying homer in the 7th inning. Bob Stanley did walk in the winning run in the 9th. I remeber the 3-0 pitch was right down the middle and Stanley went ballistic, charging right at the ump and screaming.
Mo giving up back to back homeruns to the Rays in 09, which i think was the first time in his career he gave up back to back homeruns.
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the late 80s where the Yankees were down early in the game 9-0 to the Red Sox and Clemens was pitching. And they somehow came back to win. I don't recall much else about the game. I'll have to try and locate the box score.
wasn’t Calvin Shiraldi the losing pitcher ? It was as if he was commemorating his blowing the World Series to the Mets a few months before .
you are correct.
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I was at that game too.
Wow, I had completely forgotten about that, but yeah!
at Home, and I think it was a double-header.
And I think the Cleveland catcher was Ray Fosse... not sure.
Some idiot fan threw a firecracker that landed practically right under the foot of the Cleveland catcher. He fell over like a sack of potatoes.
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I was at that game! Back when the Yanks had a reasonable 8 game mid week season ticket package. I was living in the city at the time so we would get royally wrecked.
Now I remember that, because I remember Reggie throwing himself into that throw. Ha ha ha. Then you wonder why everyone hates us.
at Home, and I think it was a double-header.
And I think the Cleveland catcher was Ray Fosse... not sure.
Some idiot fan threw a firecracker that landed practically right under the foot of the Cleveland catcher. He fell over like a sack of potatoes.
That's awesome. Great play by Reggie! And that ump in the maroon smoking jacket looks like a '70s porn star. Good times...
I think Howe holds a record even more unbreakable than DiMaggio's. 8 or 9 coke busts and they still didn't ban him from the game. Not only that , he got a commissioner fired along they way.
I was at another game in like '92 where we wanted to try an appeal play at 3b and that coked up idiot steps off and proceeds to toss the ball over the 3rd basement's head all the way into the stands. So not only did we not get to see if the appeal would be successful, but also the runner on 2nd got to score on the over throw.
The YS crowd gets on Thurman (who is in the middle of an MVP season) hard as he goes back to the dugout and then again when he comes to the plate in bottom of the ninth.
Thurman responds with, as Murray Chass put it, "a series of obscene reactions" during his AB and then on way back to dugout after striking out.
A different time, when the crowd around home plate was packed with average fans rather than corporate zombies. And when a blow up could be forgotten the next day.
Some good quotes from Billy ("Maybe they deserved the finger") and Sparky Lyle.
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But not as weird as when I was like 8 or 9 years old and Jake Gibbs scored the winning run on a passed ball (could of been a wild pitch.. ) and Why that was weird is Jake Gibbs could barely run - was shocking even at the time.
The game had everything. It was also the only game to my knowledge that A-Rod played shortstop for the Yankees, in relief of Jeter being taken out of after the dive.
Gary Sheffield ended up playing 3rd base late in that game as well.
Absolutely incredible game, best regular season sporting event I have ever attended.
THAT'S the game that I was thinking of above...I thought it was Detroit, and thought it was 9 runs, but I was right about White hitting the tying HR in the 9th. Here's the play by play!
CALIFORNIA ANGELS VS NEW YORK YANKEES AUGUST 22, 1976 BOX SCORE - ( New Window )
The game had everything. It was also the only game to my knowledge that A-Rod played shortstop for the Yankees, in relief of Jeter being taken out of after the dive.
Gary Sheffield ended up playing 3rd base late in that game as well.
Absolutely incredible game, best regular season sporting event I have ever attended.
2003 I think
This was the first one that came to mind for me as well.
I saw that on TV. I hated Brett, but I respected the hell out of him. Balls out, big time gamer.
I was at that game but i was 6 years old. Still remember it like yesterday. WILD