In a week filled with walk-offs, extended no-hit bids and uncommon scores, we noticed some common quirkiness from teams with some sort of connection. Thanks to Baseball Reference and the Elias Sports Bureau for assistance.
Battle of the Beltways
The Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles pulled off a rarity Wednesday, each winning 1-0 games via solo home run. Wilson Ramos and Mark Trumbo did the honors; for Ramos it was his second such game this year. He's the first player in Nationals/Expos franchise history to hit two 1-0 homers in a season, while Trumbo is the first Oriole with a 1-0 homer against the Boston Red Sox since Bobby Grich took Luis Tiant deep on Sept. 2, 1974. It was just the third time ever that Washington and Baltimore won 1-0 games on the same day; the others were the final day of the 2014 season (that day included Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter), and Sept. 4, 1965.
A pair of Sox
Speaking of the Red Sox, they scored in each of the first seven innings Monday before posting a zero in the eighth. They're the first team to do that since the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, although shout-out to the San Diego Padres who in June scored in the first eight innings but not the ninth.
Just a couple hours later, the Chicago White Sox finished off their game as the 20th team since 1900 to score in every inning in which they batted. The White Sox had done it once before (May 11, 1949), and they are the second team this year. The last time it happened twice in one season was 1923.
On Thursday both Sox teams scored walk-off wins, something that last happened on June 24, 2006.
Keystone clash
Major League Baseball's two Pennsylvania teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, split a four-game series this week. Pirates pitching combined to strike out 15 Phillies Tuesday, their most against the Phillies since a 3-0 win at Forbes Field on Sept. 1, 1967. They were still on the losing side until Sean Rodriguez's homer in the top of the ninth, Pittsburgh's first go-ahead pinch-hit homer when trailing since Rob Mackowiak hit one in Cincinnati in 2003.
The Pirates' 15-2 win Thursday was their biggest in the series since June 9, 1967 (16-1) and their most runs scored in Philadelphia since May 1, 1941, at Shibe Park (also 15-2). Andrew McCutchen became the first Pirate to have a multihomer game at Citizens Bank Park; their last multihomer game at Veterans Stadium was posted by Barry Bonds on June 7, 1989.
Goin' to Kansas City
The current representatives of Kansas City, the Royals, hosted the city's former representatives, now the Oakland Athletics, this week. Monday's game marked the 10th time the Athletics had scored 16 runs in the "City of Fountains;" the oddity is that five are as the home team and five as the road team. Thursday's win marked Oakland's first time scoring 14 twice in a series since July 2009. Ryon Healy, Stephen Vogt, and Marcus Semien became the first trio of Athletics to each have a homer, a double and 3 RBIs in the same game.
More from this week
Cardinals, Monday: Second game in live ball era where a team's only hit was a home run. George Hendrick broke up Mario Soto's no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth on May 12, 1984.
Taijuan Walker, Tuesday: Second pitcher ever to throw a walk-free shutout with 11 strikeouts against the Angels, joining Nolan Ryan in 1989.
Didi Gregorius, Tuesday: First Yankee to hit a pinch-hit homer against the Dodgers since Bob Cerv in 1955 World Series.
Jonathan Lucroy, Friday: First walk-off single when Rangers were down to final out since Bob Jones against the Red Sox on May 24, 1986.
Trea Turner, Friday: First player in Nationals/Expos history with four hits, four runs and two steals in a game.
Joey Votto, Sunday: Second game this year going 4-for-4 (or better) and scoring two runs. First Reds hitter to do it twice in a season since Barry Larkin in 2000.
