SABR Digital Library: Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games

Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games, edited by Bill Nowlin

Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games
Edited by Bill Nowlin
Associate editors: Len Levin and Carl Riechers
Publication Date: September 24, 2020
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9701-5943-1, $24.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-9701-5942-4, $9.99
8.5″ x 11″, 396 pages

Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games, published through the SABR Digital Library, tells the story of the most lopsided games in major-league baseball history.

Since the American League was established in 1901, the biggest blowout game in major-league history was on August 22, 2007, when the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles, 30-3. That’s a 27-run differential. It eclipsed the 25 runs between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns on June 8, 1950, at Fenway Park, a game that ended up 29-4. And that game had followed a blowout from the very day before: Red Sox 20, Browns 4. That’s a back-to-back blowout total of 49-8.

If you’re an Orioles fan, you might not want to revisit that 30-3 game but you can revel in the September 28, 2000, game in which the O’s beat the Blue Jays, 23-1.

We have included the top four games for each franchise, so every fan can have a chance to read about his or her team winning big. Then we snuck in the six biggest blowout games from postseason history, too.

This project is the collaborative work of 77 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). These 126 game accounts are part of SABR’s Games Project.

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Below: Find memorable game stories from Baseball’s Biggest Blowout Games


Game Stories

April 12, 2010: Padres whip the Braves, 17-2, in home opener

April 16, 1990: Milwaukee Brewers crush the Red Sox 18-0 on Patriots Day

April 17, 2001: Blowout at Busch: Diamondbacks blast Cardinals 17-4

April 19, 1996: Records tumble as Rangers crush Orioles, 26-7

April 19, 2014: Ryan Hanigan has 6 RBIs as Rays rout Yanks, 16-1

April 22, 2010: Brewers blow out Pirates with 20-0 shutout at PNC Park

April 23, 1955: White Sox set scoring record, crush relocated Athletics 29-6

April 25, 1961: A tale of three pitchers in Athletics’ lopsided 20-2 win over Twins

April 27, 1912: Pirates unleash new bats in 23-run outburst against Reds

April 27, 1977: Hector Cruz leads Cardinals’ landslide over Cubs

April 29, 1999: Mariners’ 22-run salute levels the Tigers

April 30, 1950: Red Sox post biggest shutout win in team history, beat A’s 19-0

April 30, 2002: Hell’s Angels: Anaheim blasts 22 hits, 21 runs at Cleveland

April 30, 2017: Nationals trounce Mets, 23-5, behind Rendon’s six hits

April 5, 2003: Marlins tie team record for hits, score 22 runs in rout of Braves

April 6, 1974: Royals crush Twins, 23-6

April 7, 1996: Craig Shipley leads Padres to sweep over Astros, 17-2

April 7, 2018: Patience at the plate is a virtue as Phillies beat Marlins, 20-1

April 9, 1994: Marlins sink Padres, 15-1, at Jack Murphy Stadium

August 1, 1893: Rebellion, disgusted fans, and an angry owner following Pirates’ 25-2 win at St. Louis

August 10, 2019: Rookie Yordan Alvarez leads Astros’ 23-2 onslaught of Orioles

August 12, 1948: Cleveland wins a blowout game in a pennant race, 26-3 over Browns

August 12, 1953: Whitey Ford stars on the mound and at the plate as Yankees rout Senators, 22-1

August 16, 2015: Orioles pound A’s, 18-2, tie team record with 26 hits

August 16, 2016: Trouncing at the Trop: Rays rip Padres, 15-1

August 16, 2018: A Modern Blowout: Mets blast Phillies, 24-4

August 18, 1995: Cubs tie their modern team record with 26 runs scored in a game

August 2, 2010: Yovani Gallardo’s 12 K’s overshadowed as Brewers pummel Cubs, 18-1

August 22, 2000: Padres trounce the Mets, 16-1

August 22, 2007: Rangers set major league mark with 30-3 victory

August 23, 2002: ‘Little League home run’ was just the beginning for Padres in 18-2 blowout

August 25, 1979: Angels start pounding on Blue Jays early and never stop

August 28, 1992: Strange Brew: Milwaukee crushes Blue Jays 22-2 at SkyDome

August 3, 1961: Pirates’ 24-hit attack produces NL record-tying shutout

August 30, 1999: Edgardo Alfonzo plays grand marshal in Mets’ hit parade

August 31, 2004: Indians set AL shutout record with unexpected 22-0 rout of Yankees

August 7, 1923: Indians trounce three Nationals rookies as Frank Brower delivers 6 hits

August 9, 1887: Radbourn, Beaneaters receive a pummeling by Pittsburgh

July 1, 2003: Marlins batter Braves, 20-1, set eyes on World Series run

July 11, 1931: Phillies reliever absorbs 22-hit barrage in loss to Giants

July 11, 1979: Mariners drub Yankees 16-1, set new franchise runs record 

July 11, 2018: Rockies bludgeon Diamondbacks, 19-2, at Coors Field

July 17, 1908: Biff Bang Boom! Cobb, Tigers score 21 runs to beat Mack’s Athletics

July 19, 1987: Don Mattingly’s homer streak ends at 8 as Rangers get to Steve Trout, Yankees

July 2, 2016: Angels give Red Sox hell in 21-2 win at Fenway Park

July 26, 2010: Joe Mauer, Danny Valencia combine for 9 hits, 11 RBIs in Twins’ rout of Royals

July 27, 1969: Orioles blast White Sox, setting team hits, total bases, and runs records

July 29, 2006: Randy Johnson has a bad day, and so do Yankees in 19-6 meltdown to Devil Rays

July 3, 1945: Cruel Cubs brutalize Braves, 24-2

July 3, 2016: J.A. Happ and an offensive explosion lead Blue Jays

July 30, 1978: Expos visit the Launching Pad, score 19 runs in record-setting day

July 31, 2018: Nationals score early and often in 25-4 laugher over Mets

July 4, 1977: Expos set fireworks on the Fourth of July at Wrigley Field

July 5, 1987: Don’t ‘Believe It’: When Sports Illustrated missed on the Cleveland Indians

July 6, 1929: Cardinals break 11-game losing streak with 28-hit, 28-run mauling of Phillies

July 6, 1996: Hentgen and Delgado lead Blue Jays in 15-0 rout of Tigers

July 6, 2009: Phillies hand Reds most lopsided loss in franchise history again, 117 years later

July 7, 1923: Rube Lutzke, Riggs Stephenson spearhead Cleveland to record 27-3 rout

July 7, 2018: Diamondbacks set franchise scoring record in 20-5 rout of Padres

July 9, 1988: Chris Speier goes for ‘Cycle-o-Rama and Batting-Go-Round’ at Candlestick Park

July 9, 2017: Peacock, Astros strut into All-Star break with 19-1 demolition of Blue Jays

June 1, 1957: Redlegs outscore the scoreboard in 22-2 rout of Cubs

June 10, 1944: At age 15, Reds’ Joe Nuxhall becomes youngest player to appear in MLB game

June 11, 1985: Phillies thrash Mets 26-7 in a near-record-setting clash

June 13, 1999: Cal Ripken is perfect at the plate in Orioles’ 22-1 rout of Braves

June 17, 1925: Tigers bat around twice in the 6th, Hooks Dauss earns 200th career win

June 17, 1956: White Sox score 20 runs to give a glimmer of hope during a season of great expectations

June 18, 1953: Red Sox’s 17-run inning tames Tigers

June 18, 2000: Rockies’ Mike Lansing hits fastest cycle in MLB history

June 19, 2000: Yankees destroy Red Sox, 22-1, scoring 16 runs in last two innings

June 24, 1901: “He Didn’t Have the Energy to Strike a Lucifer”

June 25, 1984: George Brett, Steve Balboni slam 3-run home runs in Royals rout

June 28, 1939: Yankees’ juggernaut continues with 23-2 smashing of A’s

June 28, 1969: Dodgers teach Padres pitcher that spring training does matter

June 4, 1911: Baseball in the fast lane: Reds race past Boston Rustlers, 26-3

June 4, 2002: Twins set records and send Cleveland spiraling with 23-2 win

June 7, 1906: Cubs wallop Mathewson and Giants, 19-0, at Polo Grounds

June 7, 1967: Redbirds ‘Busch’-whacked by Astros, 17-1

June 8, 1940: Reds’ Harry Craft hits for cycle as ‘our lads annihilate Dodgers’

June 8, 1950: Red Sox beat up on Browns with 29-4 shellacking

May 10, 2002: White Socked: Angels win 19-0 over visiting Chicago

May 12, 1986: Rangers ambush Indians, 19-2

May 13, 1902: Phillies led to 24-2 slaughter by Reds

May 16, 2003: Relentless Blue Jays hitters trounce Royals, 18-1

May 18, 1912: Tigers stage baseball’s first player strike in support of Ty Cobb

May 20, 1994: Mariners trounce Rangers, 19-2, in most lopsided win in franchise history

May 20, 1994: Twins set franchise record with 21 runs against Red Sox

May 20, 1996: Chipper Jones, Tyler Houston each drive in 5 runs as Atlanta crushes Cubs, 18-1 

May 20, 2006: Diamondbacks ride Brandon Webb’s arm and bat to rout over Braves

May 21, 2009: Twins’ lineup changes result in a 20-run explosion

May 24, 1936: Tony Lazzeri’s two grand slams and 11 RBIs

May 24, 2000: Shawn Estes throws shutout, hits grand slam as Giants rock Expos, 18-0

May 26, 1964: Mets score 19 runs in win over Cubs

May 5, 2001: Cubs score 20 runs, inflict worst loss in Dodgers’ Los Angeles history

October 10, 1999: Red Sox score postseason record 23 runs to smash Cleveland in ALDS Game 4

October 13, 2001: Vizquel drives in 6, Sabathia earns first playoff win as Cleveland retakes ALDS lead

October 14, 1996: Braves blow out Cardinals 14-0 to begin NLCS comeback

October 17, 1996: Braves roll over Cardinals, 15-0, to complete NLCS comeback

October 2, 1936: Yankees clip Giants 18-4 in Game 2, tie the Subway Series

October 3, 1999: ‘This was the whole zoo’: Braves end regular season with 18-0 whitewash of Marlins

October 4, 1980: Twins handed a Royal beating by AL West champs in final weekend

October 4, 2001: Mariners crush Rangers, 16-1, tie AL record with 114th win

October 5, 2001: Braves clinch NL East division in grand fashion, beat Marlins, 20-3

October 8, 2018: Red Sox clobber Yankees 16-1 and move to brink of winning ALDS

September 10, 1924: A Glorious Feast: Pennant-bound Giants dine on poor Braves, 22-1

September 10, 1977: Expansion Blue Jays wallop Catfish, Yankees, 19-3

September 15, 1901: ‘The Least Said, the Better’: Tigers top Cleveland, 21-0

September 16, 1926: Cardinals keep first pennant in sight with 23-3 rout of Phillies

September 16, 2017: Rock Bottom: Padres crushed, 16-0, by Rockies at Coors Field

September 17, 1995: Marlins run up the score on Rockies with 17-0 win

September 18, 1915: Braves, trying to keep pace, drub Cardinals 20-1

September 19, 1925: Ted Lyons misses out on no-hit bid as White Sox thump Washington, 17-0

September 2, 2002: Losing with ‘Grace’: David Ross, Dodgers blast Diamondbacks, 19-1

September 20, 2005: Rockies pound out frustrations in 20-1 victory over Padres

September 20, 2018: A Pounding by the Bay: A’s stomp Angels, 21-3

September 23, 1901: Brooklyn Superbas treat Reds to a swatting festival in 25-6 win

September 23, 1939: Dodgers flog Phillies, 22-4

September 25, 2016: Mets claim their largest shutout victory, 17-0 over Phillies

September 27, 1940: Frustrated Red Sox, out of pennant race, crush Senators 24-4

September 28, 2000: ‘They should have a mercy rule’: Orioles score record 23 runs in blowout of Blue Jays

September 30, 2000: Athletics inch closer to playoffs in 23-2 rout of Rangers

September 4, 2017: Diamondbacks’ J.D. Martinez hits 4 home runs at Dodger Stadium

September 5, 1924: Tigers roar with 20-run outburst against Cleveland

September 5, 2007: Carlos Peña’s 7 RBIs lead Rays as Orioles suffer yet another blowout loss

September 8, 2019: Birthday Bash! Gerrit Cole fans 15 as Astros crush King Felix, Mariners

September 9, 2004: Everything, then nothing: Joe Randa becomes first AL player with 6 hits, 6 runs in same game


Contributors include: Steve Behnke, Gary Belleville, Stephen D. Boren, Thomas J. Brown Jr., Robert Brustad, Frederick C. (Rick) Bush, Ralph Caola, Gabriella Carr, Ken Carrano, Alan Cohen, Richard Cuicchi, Daniel J. DiNardo, Bruce G. Enos, Greg Erion, Scott Fletcher, Adam Foldes, Brian Frank, Adrian Fung, Gordon J. Gattie, Steven Glassman, Tom Hawthorn, Brent Heutmaker, John Paul Hill, Paul Hofmann, Mike Huber, Chuck Johnson, Chris Jones, Jeff Kallman, Zach Kleiman, Anders Koskinen, Justin Krueger, Jeff Laing, Kevin Larkin, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Mike Lynch, Diane MacLennan, Andrew Milner, Lea Moss, Jeff Nayadley, Bill Nowlin, Mark Panuthos, Laura Peebles, Jacob Pomrenke, David W. Pugh, Alan Raylesberg, Carmen Reale, Dave Rickard, Carl Riechers, Joel Rippel, Benjamin Sabin, Louis H. Schiff, Harry Schoger, Thomas E. Schott, Joe Schuster, Peter Seidel, Andrew Sharp, Blake W. Sherry, Mark S. Sternman, Creg Stephenson, Andy Terrick, Stew Thornley, Bob Timmermann, Tony Valley, Joseph Wancho, Darin Watson, Bob Webster, Steven C. Weiner, Steve West, Herb Wilson, Daniel Winkler, Jim Wohlenhaus, Gregory H. Wolf, Graham Womack, Brian Wood, Brian Wright, and Jack Zerby.

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