This day in sports: Mike Schmidt helps Phillies outslug Cubs 23-22 at Wrigley Field
One of the wildest games in baseball history was played on this date in 1979 when the Philadelphia Phillies outslugged the Chicago Cubs 23-22 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field.
Dave Kingman hit three home runs for the Cubs, and Mike Schmidt pounded two out of the park for the Phillies. The game featured 11 home runs, one a grand slam by the Cubs’ Bill Buckner, as well as 50 hits and 109 at-bats. Buckner had seven runs batted in.
Schmidt’s home run off Bruce Sutter in the 10th inning broke a 22-22 score to win it for Philadelphia.
The Dodgers were scheduled to play an interleague game Sunday against the Royals in Kansas City, and the Angels would have concluded a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Both games were postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Never fear, Magic is here’: On May 16, 1980, with the Cap sidelined with an ankle injury, Magic Johnson launched a decade of Lakers ‘Showtime’ dominance.
Here is a look at other memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:
1925 — Tris Speaker of the Indians gets his 3,000th career hit when he singles off Tom Zachary during a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators at Dunn Field in Cleveland. Speaker is the fifth player to join the 3,000-hit club and the second to reach the historic mark wearing an Indians uniform. Nap Lajoie is the first in 1914.
1970 — Hank Aaron gets an infield single off the Reds’ Wayne Simpson for his 3,000th hit during the second game of a doubleheader at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Aaron is the ninth player to collect 3,000 hits and the first to also have 500 home runs.
1975 — Master Derby, a 23-1 long shot ridden by Darrel McHargue, beats Kentucky Derby winner and heavy favorite Foolish Pleasure by a length in the 100th running of the Preakness Stakes. Master Derby, who had won the Blue Grass Stakes in late April, pays $48.80 to win. Diablo finishes third in front of a record crowd of 75,216 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
The Triple Crown picture got clearer when it was announced that the Preakness will be held Oct. 3. All that’s still unknown is the date of the Belmont Stakes.
1983 — The New York Islanders sweep their way to a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship by beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Bryan Trottier, John Tonelli and Mike Bossy score first-period goals for the Islanders.
1988 — John Stockton of Utah ties Magic Johnson’s NBA playoff assist record when he gets 24 in a 111-109 loss to the Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Forum. Stockton has 23 points and Karl Malone adds 27 for the Jazz. James Worthy scores 27 for the Lakers, who would go on to win the series in seven games.
1992 — Betsy King wins her first LPGA Championship and her fifth major title by a record 11 strokes over runners-up JoAnne Carner, Liselotte Neumann and Karen Noble at Bethesda (Md.) Country Club. King’s margin of victory breaks the tournament mark of 10 set by Patty Sheehan in 1984.
1998 — David Wells pitches the 13th perfect game in modern major league history when the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0. Wells’ gem is the first perfect game pitched at Yankee Stadium since Don Larsen’s in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees support Wells with six hits, including two doubles and a home run by Bernie Williams.
The coronavirus outbreak has kept Kedon Slovis in Arizona, but that isn’t stopping the USC quarterback from improving his game or finding a new hobby.
2003 — Funny Cide sets the stage for a chance at the Triple Crown when he and jockey Jose Santos run away from the field on the turn for home and finish with a near-record 9 3/4-length win in the Preakness Stakes. The gelding’s victory is second to Survivor’s 10-length victory in the first Preakness in 1873.
2006 — The Spurs’ Tim Duncan scores a team-playoff-high 36 points and ties an NBA postseason record when he makes his first 12 shots. Duncan adds 12 rebounds as San Antonio holds off elimination with a 98-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.
SOURCES: The Times, Associated Press
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