Baseball box score of the year (and some milestone updates)

One of the most incredible baseball games ever occurred today, as the Rangers beat the Orioles 30-3. Here is the box score. (Check out the Ranger hitting lines and the Oriole pitching lines.)

There are plenty of things I can say about this game, so let's list some of the interesting facts:

1. The Orioles manager was recently given a contract extension for 2008. In the middle of the season, he had been named the interim manager for the remainder of the 2007 season when the previous manager was fired. Today's 30-3 loss was his first game as the "permanent" manager. Things can only get better.

2. The 30 runs scored by the Rangers constitute the most runs ever scored by an American League team in any game ever. The previous record of 29 came from games in 1950 and 1955. These 30 runs also constitute baseball's "modern" (aka, post-1900) record and are the second most scored by any team ever. (The record was 36 runs by the Chicago Colts in 1897.)

3. The Orioles actually led the game 3-0 at some point.

4. The Oriole relievers allowed 24 earned runs in 4 innings. That's an ERA of 54.00.

5. Four Orioles pitched in this game: one allowed 6 runs, one allowed 7, one allowed 8, and one allowed 9.

6. Four Rangers drove in 4 or more runs. The last time four or more players from a team each drove in four or more runs was 1979.

7. The Baltimore Ravens (a football team) haven't allowed 30 or more points in a game since week 12 of 2005.

8. The Rangers had scored a total of 28 runs in their last nine games combined.

9. Rangers reliever Wes Littleton recorded a save with 3 innings of solid relief. It's good to know that he can protect a 27-run lead. (By the way, the save rule is one of the most broken rules in the entire game. Among other problems, one can "earn" a save by finishing the game with 3 innings of effective relief no matter how large a lead one's team has.)

10. The 30-3 game was actually the first game of a double-header. The Rangers won the second game 9-7. The 39 runs scored in a double-header also constitute a Major-League record.



If I find out any other interesting facts about this game --- articles by people like Jayson Stark and Tim Kurkjian will be the best sources for those --- I'll pass them along.


Let me also provide updates on two other things in baseball:

1. Bobby Jenks' streak of consecutive batters retired ended at 41, so he had to settle for tying the record rather than breaking it.

2. Brandon Webb's scoreless inning streak ended at 42 innings, the long streak in the Majors since Orel Hersisher recorded 59 straight scoreless innings (the Major League record) in 1988. Following Hershiser's run in 1988 was one of my most incredible experiences as a baseball fan. Dodger announcer Don Drysdale was the previous record holder, so their interview in the dugout immediately after Orel broke the record was particularly special. 1988 was also magical for many other reasons --- chief among them was that we won the World Series that year even though we went into the playoffs as extreme underdogs. We didn't have the most talented team that year, but it didn't matter. We won, and 1988 is remains my favorite baseball season for very good reason.



Update: Rob Neyer of ESPN wrote the following in his blog today: "My favorite statistic from last night's game? The Orioles gave up more earned runs in one game -- in 3 hours and 21 minutes -- than Brandon Webb has given up in the past three months (and yes, I swiped that one from Buster Olney)." I knew people would come up with amusing stats like that... (Buster Olney also writes for ESPN, though he was not one of the ones I mentioned last night as people who I'd expect to come up with something like this. Pardon the oversight.