Hitting 6 HR In A 9-Inning Loss
Posted by Steve Lombardi on September 25, 2010
Yesterday, the Yankees hit 6 homeruns in a 9-inning game in which they lost the contest. How rare is that?
Here's how many times it's happened since 1920:
| Rk | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | SH | SF | ROE | GDP | SB | CS | WPA | RE24 | LOB | # | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-05-21 | TOR | ARI | L 6-8 | 38 | 38 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.178 | 1.116 | .623 | 5 | 15 |
| 2 | 2007-08-28 | BAL | TBD | L 8-15 | 40 | 39 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.272 | 2.996 | .466 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | 2004-08-08 | DET | BOS | L 9-11 | 38 | 37 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.244 | 4.199 | .766 | 2 | 12 |
| 4 | 2002-07-02 | DET | CHW | L 9-17 | 40 | 38 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.054 | 4.005 | .571 | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 1999-07-10 | NYY | NYM | L 8-9 | 44 | 36 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.703 | 3.106 | 1.063 | 9 | 15 |
| 6 | 1996-06-30 | LAD | COL | L 15-16 | 51 | 44 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.466 | 9.208 | 1.513 | 9 | 15 |
| 7 | 1995-05-28 | DET | CHW | L 12-14 | 54 | 44 | 12 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0.454 | 6.877 | 1.142 | 15 | 13 |
| 8 | 1991-08-03 | OAK | MIN | L 6-8 | 41 | 37 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.069 | 1.783 | .642 | 8 | 11 |
| 9 | 1985-04-23 | CAL | OAK | L 9-14 | 42 | 38 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.237 | 4.401 | .796 | 6 | 10 |
| 10 | 1980-05-31 | BOS | MIL | L 8-19 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.148 | 3.207 | .634 | 4 | 11 |
| 11 | 1971-08-09 | DET | BOS | L 11-12 | 46 | 42 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.605 | 6.802 | 1.022 | 8 | 19 |
| 12 | 1965-04-27 | PHI | SFG | L 13-14 | 47 | 37 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.125 | 8.814 | 1.462 | 7 | 19 |
| 13 | 1962-05-29 | CHC | MLN | L 9-11 | 42 | 42 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 6 | 17 | |
| 14 | 1961-06-08 | MLN | CIN | L 8-10 | 44 | 38 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.102 | 3.340 | 1.080 | 9 | 14 |
| 15 | 1957-06-05 | NYG | MLN | L 8-9 | 46 | 40 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.015 | 3.652 | 2.024 | 11 | 18 |
| 16 | 1950-06-23 | NYY | DET | L 9-10 | 42 | 38 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.508 | 3.720 | .878 | 6 | 16 |
| 17 | 1932-08-13 (1) | NYG | BRO | L 9-18 | 41 | 41 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 5 | 17 | |
| 18 | 1930-05-12 | CHC | NYG | L 12-14 | 47 | 41 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 8 | 12 |
.
So, it was just the 19th time this has happened since 1920. But, this is the first time since 1920 that we've had two games like this in the same season. Go figure, huh?
September 25th, 2010 at 8:43 am
So I see its only happened twice where 7 HR's were hit (vs. 6) in a 9-inning loss...and both times it was the Tigers who did it. Poor Detroit.
September 25th, 2010 at 9:51 am
How about most homers hit in a 9 inning loss in which no player on the losing team hit more than 1 (it's less than 6 since I checked that list)
September 25th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Foe some reason, the game that caught my eye was the 1995-05-28 game. The Tigers had 17 hits, 8 walks, hit 7 HR's...and scored 12 runs. 15 LOB when you hit 7 HR's? ouch. Chad Curtis led off the game with a homer and Cecil Fielder also hit one in the first. The Tigers abtted around. Chad Curtis led off the 2nd with a HR. And Cecil Fielder hit another in the 2nd. Any other game where two teammates had 2 HR's by the end of the 2nd inning? Whe Fielder hit his second HR, their WP was 94%.
Also, the Chisox went back to back to back off David Wells to open the 4th. One more thing. Over a decade later, three cogs of the mighty '84 Tigers had good games. Trammel had 2 hits, Whitaker had 3 hits, two walks, stole a base, hit one of the homers and scored 3 times and Gibson had 4 hits, including 2 solo homers.
September 25th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Games 1 and 8 on the list above are the only games in MLB history* (win or loss) where a team hit >= 6 HR and HR = Runs -- i.e., solo shots accounted for all their runs. Just for fun, here's a list of "Kennedy/Lincoln" coincidences in those 2 games:
-- Both teams lost, 8-6.
-- Both had a player hit 3 HRs: Edwin Encarnacion for TOR, Dave Henderson for OAK; for each player, it was his only 3-HR game, though each had four 2-HR games.
-- Both losing teams got a HR from a player who would go on to post a 50-HR season: Jose Bautista, Mark McGwire.
-- Both losing teams got a pinch-hit HR from a lefty DH-type: Adam Lind of TOR, Harold Baines of OAK.
-- Each SP on the winning team allowed 4 HRs: Dan Haren of AZ and David West of MN.
-- Both winning teams hit 2 HRs.
-- Both losing franchises have won a World Series with Rickey Henderson as their leadoff man, after acquiring him in a mid-season trade.
September 25th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
* Forgot to post my footnote: Technically, I should have said "only games in the live-ball era." But if any team before 1920 hit 6+ solo HRs and scored no other runs, I'll eat my Cleveland Spiders hat.
September 25th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Would like to see the Yankee game from yesterday on the list just for comparison purposes.
@4
John A, exactly the same games jumped out at me. Speaking of which, what does the massively poor WPA for the Jays in their game mean? It's by far the lowest on the list.
@3
LJF, a very unusual line for Detroit in the game that caught your eye. I can't imagine many games where there were two home runs for two different teammates after two innings. And they still lost.
I had forgotten about Gibson's swan song seasons with the Tigers. He only hit 9 HR's in 1995 and two of them in this futile slugfest in May.
September 25th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Not exactly the same thing as the post because the team won, but quirky nevertheless.
A team won last night, in a 9-inning game despite being out-hit 16 to 5. And won by 2 runs no less! How often has that happened?
No wonder we are addicted to baseball and this kind of stuff.
September 25th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
@3
About teammates hitting HR's in each of the first 2 innings, the first game I thought of was Mike Cameron's 4 HR game. Turns out they one-upped that. Cameron and Bret Boone each hit 2 HR in the first inning, the first 2 off of Jim Parque and the second 2 off of Jon Rauch.
September 25th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Neil, here you go...
Generated 9/25/2010.
.
September 25th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Whoops, that includes games of more than 9 innings too! Sorry about that.
September 25th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
@9 @10
No problem, Steve. Thanks for the updated list.
As a recent subscriber, I'm still trying to understand the tools. In your list @9, what was the secondary sort field after date.
September 25th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Not only did the 95 Tigers hit 7 out of the park, they also stole 5 bases!
September 25th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
haha yankees suck
September 25th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
@13
James, please, this is not a "fan" or an "anti-fan" site.
September 25th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I was at the game. All of the Yanks runs were via the HR. How often does a team score 8 runs, all via HR?
September 25th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
OK, another freakish game --#17 on the original list:
Dodgers 18, Giants 9, Aug. 13, 1932, 1st game of a doubleheader in the Polo Grounds; the Giants hit 6 HRs and lost.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1193208131.shtml
-- The teams combined for 30 hits, just 1 walk, and NO strikeouts.* Brooklyn swept the doubleheader without any Ks by their pitchers.
-- Despite all the hitting and circling of bases, the game was completed in 2:15.
-- Dodgers scored all 18 runs in the 4th-6th innings -- 5, 7 and 6.
-- Giants got all 6 HRs (and all 9 runs) from their #3-4-5 HOF trio of Bill Terry, Mel Ott and Freddie Lindstrom.** Terry hit 3, Ott 2 and Lindstrom 1.
-- Brooklyn notched season highs of 18 runs and 24 hits, led by Lefty O'Doul (who won his 2nd MLB batting crown that year at .368 and age 35) and Hack Wilson*** (who drove in 123 that year, completing a 6-year span averaging 130 RBI).
-- The 24 hits without a strikeout was a record at the time (as far as B-R search engines can check). The current record is 28, by the 1945 Cubs.****
-- Sloppy Thurston***** went the distance for the win, allowing 9 runs on 12 hits.
-- Thurston went 4 for 5 with a double, 2 runs & 2 ribbies. He hit .304 that year, .270 for his career, with better power than, say, Juan Pierre: In 648 AB, Thurston hit 38 doubles, 10 triples and 5 dingers.
-- Ironic that both Wilson and the Giants had been involved in the first-ever 6-HR loss, 2 years earlier, with the roles reversed. Wilson slugged one of the Cubs' 6 HRs as they rallied from a 14-0 hole, but fell 2 runs short. Ott also homered in that game, while Cliff Heathcote and Clyde Beck each hit 2 HRs for Chicago. Beck hit just 12 HRs in a 6-year career.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN193005120.shtml
__________
* It's possible that K data are missing from that box score, but it seems unlikely, since there are Ks in the game 2 box.
** Besides those 3 future HOF hitters, the '32 Giants had a young Jo-Jo Moore (future 6-time All-Star). The pitching staff had future HOFers Carl Hubbell and Waite Hoyt in their rotation, plus Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons (who wound up 217-146), plus a young Hal Schumacher (who averaged 20 wins over the next 3 years and finished 158-121), plus 41-year-old Dolf Luque (194 wins) as their relief ace. All that talent added up to a 6th-place finish -- just the 3rd time in 30 years under John McGraw that they fell into the 2nd division. McGraw was replaced by Terry mid-season. They rebounded to win the WS the next year.
*** The Dodgers acquired Hack Wilson from St. Louis in January '32 for a 28-year-old minor-league OF )who never reached the bigs), plus cash. The Cards had gotten Wilson from Chicago just a month earlier, in exchange for future HOFer Burleigh Grimes, who was 37 but coming off 2 good seasons. What happened in a month to sour them on Wilson? I don't know; maybe they saw him without his shirt on.
**** 24 hits without a strikeout was last accomplished in a 2005 "Bay Series" contest, one of the most lopsided games you can imagine. While the A's delighted the home crowd by strafing Brett Tomko & pals for 16 runs on 24 hits, Rich Harden and 2 relievers combined on a 1-hitter. Is that 24-1 hit disparity a record? I don't think the Play Index can answer that. (Sean, can you can hear me?)
***** Sloppy Thurston is one of the few pitchers who won 20 games for a last-place team, which he did with the White Sox in 1924, his 2nd year in the majors -- 20-14, 3.80 (108 ERA+) for a team that went 66-87; Thurston and a young Ted Lyons (12-11) were the only hurlers with winning records on a staff that allowed the most runs in AL history to that point. His nickname was ironic -- he was a snappy dresser -- but it could also have come from a habit of winning ugly. In '24, he led the AL with 330 hits allowed (in 290 IP), also led in ER and HR allowed. But he completed 28 of 36 starts that year, and threw the club's only shutout (every other AL team had at least 5 CG SHO). Thurston went 89-86 in a 9-year MLB career, split up by a 2-year return to the PCL, where he also began and ended his pro career, finishing with 106 wins in that circuit.
September 25th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
In the related posts of this article I found the "Most strikeouts, post-season game, team loss"
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/368 article and saw Mike Mussina's 1997 ALCS performance. His numbers in that series are insane, in 2 starts and 15 ip he struck out 25 allowed 4 hits and got Zero wins.
I also noticed that by looking at all the hitting and pitching stats from that series that the Orioles Pitching stats and every offensive stat (.248/.322/.394) are noticeably better than the Indians (.193/.286/.304). They scored more, struck out less, had more xbh, and drew as many walks as the Indians. Yet the Indians won the series 4-2.
My Question is, has a team dominated a series statistally like this in any other PS Series and still lost.
September 25th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
~~In your list @9, what was the secondary sort field after date~~
Nada. It was just sorted by date, nothing else.
September 25th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
It's funny that the all the teams lost....lol
September 25th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Steve,
How can I find post season series outcomes based on head to head totals from that series? Ie Team A lost the series despite having more HR's or hits whatever?
September 26th, 2010 at 1:00 am
P.S. Sloppy Thurston shares the live-ball record of 6 HRs allowed in a win, along with Larry Benton (game #18 on the original list) and Tim Wakefield (game #3 on the list).
September 26th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Dkp (17 and 20), the canonical example is the 1960 World Series.
September 26th, 2010 at 1:26 am
John (16), on 23 September 1890, George Nicol of the American Association St Louis Browns pitched a 7-inning no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics; the Browns won, 21-2. I don't know how many hits they got (but I imagine it was quite a few...).
September 26th, 2010 at 1:57 am
Note the July 10, 1999 game on this list...the last time this happened to the Yankees. A few interesting things:
1) It was a pivotal game for 27-year-old Jorge Posada, who hit 2 HR and raised his batting average five points from .199 coming in. Beginning with this game, Posada hit .293 in the second half of the 1999 season, making a convincing argument for the Yankees to install him as the full-time catcher in 2000 and beyond.
2) This is actually a "Mets Classic," as seen frequently on SNY -- a memorable FOX Saturday Game of the Week which the Mets won on pinch-hitter Matt Franco's walkoff two-run single off Mariano Rivera in the ninth.
3) Sixteen years into his career, this remains the only game Derek Jeter ever started as a cleanup hitter. Joe Torre (Buck and McCarver made a lot out of this during the game, IIRC) flipped Jeter and Bernie Williams from their usual spots as an experiment. After Jeter's 0-for-4, it never happened again. He has not batted lower than fourth in the Yankees' order since September 27, 1997.
September 26th, 2010 at 3:01 am
John Austin, do you actually have a Cleveland Spiders hat? That seems great, I would not ind one of those. We used to tease my Dad about the hapless Cleveland teams-he was from there-& imagine the delight when I found that in '99 they lost more teams than any Professional team ever! The year, & name, is just cool too.
September 26th, 2010 at 3:22 am
#16: Sloppy, Fat Freddie and Hack...Too bad Clyde Beck wasn't "Boom-Boom" Beck, or you would have hit a Grand Slam of great nicknames in your post.
September 26th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
@25
Mike -- No, alas, the Spiders hat lives only in my imagination. I just like to drop the name whenever it's remotely fitting. Ever since I learned about their 1899 season, they have given me consolation when things are going badly for my Metsies.
@26
Steven -- Good point; I would have loved to find Boom-Boom Beck, Ducky Medwick, or other illustrious nicknames involved in those games. But here's an amusing snippet from Boom-Boom's B-R Bullpen page, with a tie-in to the Hack-man:
"From Baseball Library: Boom-Boom Beck supposedly earned his nickname while pitching for Casey Stengel's Dodgers in 1934. Becoming upset during a July 4th game when Stengel came out to remove him when the Dodgers still had a lead, Beck angrily threw the ball into right field at the old Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, PA. The ball hit the tin-plated wall and caromed to center. The "boom-boom" of the rebound roused hung-over centerfielder Hack Wilson, who was daydreaming during the pitching change and thought the game had resumed. Wilson pursued the ball and fired a strike back to the infield."
September 26th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I see that 8 of the most recent 11 were AL games in the DH era. Two of the others were interleague games, and in both cases, it was the AL team that lost with 6 HRs, but both were in the NL park with no DH.