This date in baseball

[June 02, 2012]   (AP) -- June 3:

1918 -- Dutch Leonard of the Boston Red Sox pitched his second no-hitter, blanking the Detroit Tigers 5-0.

1932 -- Lou Gehrig became the first American League player to hit four home runs in a game, helping the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia A's 20-13. The event was overshadowed by the resignation of John McGraw as manager of the New York Giants.

1954 -- Henry Thompson of the New York Giants hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in a 13-8 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Willie Mays drove in the other five runs with two homers.

1971 -- Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs pitched his second no-hitter, beating the Cincinnati Reds 1-0.

1978 -- Dave Johnson became the first major leaguer to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a season. His grand slam in the ninth inning gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1989 -- Los Angeles and Houston played 22 innings at the Astrodome in the longest night game in National League history -- 7 hours and 14 minutes. The Astros won the game on Rafael Ramirez's RBI single off Jeff Hamilton, normally the Dodgers' third baseman. When the game ended, Fernando Valenzuela was playing first and Eddie Murray was at third.

1989 -- Nolan Ryan pitched his 11th career one-hitter and struck out 11 as Texas beat Seattle 6-1. It was Ryan's 16th low-hit game (no-hitter or one-hitter), breaking Bob Feller's record of 15.

1995 -- Pedro Martinez of Montreal pitched nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos 1-0 win.

2003 -- Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning of Chicago's 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after umpires found cork in his shattered bat.

2006 -- Damion Easley hit three homers and had seven RBIs in Arizona's 13-9 victory over Atlanta.

2008 -- Randy Johnson took sole possession of second place on baseball's career strikeout list after getting the Milwaukee Brewers' Mike Cameron to go down swinging in the first inning. It was Johnson's 4,673rd career strikeout, breaking a tie with Roger Clemens and leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks' veteran ace behind only Nolan Ryan, who had 5,714 strikeouts in his career.

Today's birthdays: Lucas Harrell 27; Munenori Kawasaki 31; Travis Hafner 35; Jose Molina 37.

June 4

1940 -- The Pirates beat the Boston Bees 14-2 in the first night game at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.

1940 -- The St. Louis Cardinals play their first night game at Sportsman's Park, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-1.

1951 -- Pittsburgh's Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

1964 -- Sandy Koufax pitched his third no-hitter, striking out 12, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia.

1968 -- Don Drysdale of the Dodgers blanked the Pirates 5-0 for his sixth straight shutout en route to a record 58 2-3 scoreless innings.

1974 -- The game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium was forfeited to Texas. Umpire Nestor Chylak had problems with the fans throughout the evening -- primarily because it was 10-cent beer night. They got out of control when the Tribe tied the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.

1990 -- Ramon Martinez struck out 18 batters and pitched a three-hitter as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-0.

1996 -- Pamela Davis pitched one inning of scoreless relief and got the win in a minor league exhibition game. She is believed to be the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club under the current structure of the minor league system. Davis, a 21-year-old right-hander, pitched for the Jacksonville Suns, a Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, against the Australian Olympic team.

2000 -- Tampa Bay's Esteban Yan became the 77th major league player to homer in his first at-bat. Yan was the fourth American League pitcher to do so and the first since California's Don Rose in 1972, the year before the DH rule took the bat out of AL pitchers' hands.

2005 -- Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to help Baltimore rally for a 14-7 win over Detroit.

2007 -- Mark Ellis hit for the cycle and Eric Chavez hit a two-out homer in the 11th inning to lift Oakland to a 5-4 win over Boston.

2009 -- Randy Johnson became the 24th major league pitcher to win 300 games by leading San Francisco to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader. The Big Unit tossed two-hit ball over six innings and became the sixth left-hander to win 300, and the first pitcher to do it on his first try since Tom Seaver in 1985.

Today's birthday: J.C. Romero 36.

June 5

1911 -- Boston's Smoky Joe Wood struck out three Chicago White Sox pinch hitters in the ninth to preserve a 5-4 win.

1915 -- Philadelphia's Grover Cleveland Alexander lost his no-hitter when Artie Butler punched a single with two outs in the ninth. Alexander struck out Bob Bescher for the final out to beat St. Louis 3-0. Alexander went on to pitch three more one-hitters during the season.

1929 -- The Cincinnati Reds scored nine runs in the sixth inning, en route to a 21-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

1935 -- Chicago White Sox rookie pitcher John Whitehead loses to St. Louis 2-0. It was his first loss after winning his first eight starts, an AL record for the start of a career.

1943 -- New York's Carl Hubbell snaps the Giants losing streak of seven games by pitching a one-hitter against the Pittsburgh for a 5-1 win. The only hit for Pittsburgh was a solo homer by first baseman Elbie Fletcher.

1949 -- Commissioner Happy Chandler lifted the ban on all players who jumped to Mexico, starting in 1946.

1955 -- New York's Mickey Mantle hit a home run off Chicago's Billy Pierce that traveled an estimated 550 feet. The ball cleared the left-field upper deck at Comiskey Park.

1959 -- Pittsburgh's Dick Stuart hit the longest home run at Forbes Field. Stuart hit a shot over the center-field wall off Chicago pitcher Glenn Hobbie.

1966 -- Leo Cardenas of the Reds hit four home runs in a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Cardenas hit two home runs in each game as Cincinnati won the opener 8-3 but dropped the second game 9-5.

1974 -- Cleveland had nine baserunners against Texas and all nine score in a 9-3 victory. It was the last time this happened in the 20th century.

1976 -- Despite getting three home runs by Bill Robinson, Pittsburgh lost to San Diego, 11-9 in 15 innings.

1986 -- San Diego's Steve Garvey was ejected for the first time in his career when he argued a play at home plate. Garvey, the on-deck hitter, protested the last out of a triple play by the Atlanta Braves. Television replays showed that Bip Roberts was indeed safe. The Padres lost 4-2.

1989 -- The Blue Jays lost their debut in the SkyDome as Glenn Braggs hit a two-run homer to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past Toronto 5-3. The $375 million complex featured a $100 million, four-section, retractable roof.

1997 -- Alex Rodriguez of the Mariners became the first Seattle player to hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game. He completed the cycle with a double in the ninth of a 14-6 win at Detroit.

2001 -- Colorado pitcher Mike Hampton had two homers, three RBIs and recorded his eighth win as Colorado defeated Houston 9-4.

2006 -- Cincinnati's Ken Griffey, Jr., homered twice at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis, to tie Fred McGriffs major league record of connecting in 43 different stadiums. Griffey second homer was a three-run game winner in the ninth off Jason Isringhausen for an 8-7 win over the Cardinals.

2008 -- Atlanta's Chipper Jones became the third switch-hitter in major league history to hit 400 career home runs. Jones' homer off Ricky Nolasco was one of his four hits in the 7-5 comeback win over Florida. Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray were the first two reach the milestone.

2008 -- Mark Worrell became the eighth player in St. Louis Cardinals history to hit a home run in his first big league at-bat. Worrell, who also pitched two scoreless innings, hit a three-run shot on a 3-2 pitch from Washingtons Tim Redding in the sixth inning of a 10-9 loss.

2010 -- Florida International's Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 56 games but the Golden Panthers were eliminated by Dartmouth 15-9 in the Coral Gables regional. Wittels hit an RBI double in the top of the first inning off Dartmouth starter Robert Young. Wittels, ended the season two games from the Division I all-time hit streak record set by Oklahoma State's Robin Ventura in 1987.

2010 -- Jamie Moyer pitched a seven-hitter to help the Philadelphia Phillies break out of their offensive slump with a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres. It was the 47-year-old left-hander's second complete game this season, and 33rd for a career that began in 1986. He also joined Phil Niekro (121) and Jack Quinn (103) as the only pitchers to win 100 games after age 40.

2011 -- Albert Pujols hit a game-ending homer in extra innings for the second straight day, beating the Chicago Cubs with a leadoff shot in the 10th inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 3-2 victory. Pujols hammered a fastball from Rodrigo Lopez an estimated 446 feet to left for his 10th career game-ending homer. The previous day, Pujols hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the 12th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Pujols homer came on a 2-1 pitch from Jeff Samardzija.

Today's birthdays: Manny Pina 25; Robinson Chirinos 28; Bill Bray 29.

June 6

1918 -- Casey Stengel, after being traded by Brooklyn in the offseason, made his return to Ebbets Field a memorable one. In his first at-bat, Stengel called time, stepped out of the batter's box and doffed his cap. A bird flew out and the fans broke into laughter.

1934 -- Myril Hoag hit a major league record six singles in the New York Yankees' 15-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox.

1939 -- The New York Giants hit five home runs in the fourth inning in a 17-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at the Polo Grounds. With two out, Harry Danning, Al Demaree, Burgess Whitehead, Manny Salvo and Joe Moore connected as the Giants scored eight runs in the inning.

1945 -- In the first game of a doubleheader, Boston's Boo Ferriss scattered 14 hits to beat Philadelphia 5-2. Ferris, 8-0 on the year, tied the AL mark held by Chicago's John Whitehead for wins at the start of a career.

1948 -- Erv Dusak Red Schoendienst Enos Slaughter and Nippy Jones homer in the sixth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Phillies 11-1 in the first of two games. Phillies pitcher Charlie Bicknell gave up 18 total bases in the inning.

1965 -- Tom Tresh of the New York Yankees connected for three consecutive home runs in a 12-0 rout of the Chicago White Sox. Tresh hit his first homer right-handed off Juan Pizzaro in the first inning, then went to the other side of the plate and hit two against Bruce Howard in the third and fifth innings.

1975 -- Cleveland manager Frank Robinson hit two three-run homers in a 7-5 win over the Texas Rangers.

1975 -- California's Nolan Ryan pitched a one-hitter for a 6-0 win over Milwaukee. Ryan's bid for a no-hitter was foiled by Hank Aaron's single in the sixth inning.

1986 -- San Diego Padres manager Steve Boros was ejected before the first pitch of the game with the Atlanta Braves when he tried to give umpire Charlie Williams a videotape of a disputed play in the previous night's 4-2 loss to Atlanta.

1992 -- Eddie Murray drove in two runs at Pittsburgh to pass Mickey Mantle (1,509) as the all-time RBI leader among switch-hitters.

1995 -- J.D. Drew of Florida State hit a record-setting three homers in his final three at-bats in a 16-11 loss to Southern California in the College World Series. Drew finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and 12 total bases, also a series record.

1996 -- For the second time in major league history and first in the AL, a cycle and a triple play took place in the same game. Boston's John Valentin hit for the cycle, while Chicago turned a triple play in the Red Sox's 7-4 victory. In 1931, Philadelphia's Chuck Klein hit for the cycle in the same game that the Phillies turned a triple play against the Chicago Cubs.

1998 -- Jason Lane's grand slam capped a five-run ninth inning as Southern California won its first NCAA title in 20 years, beating Pac-10 rival Arizona State 21-14 in the College World Series.

2003 -- The New York Mets ended Seattle's 13-game road winning streak with a 3-2 win in the first meeting between the teams. It was the longest streak in the majors since Detroit's 17 straight road wins in 1984.

2006 -- Baltimore's Corey Patterson had his run of successive games with a stolen base stopped at nine in a 6-4 loss to Toronto. It was the longest run in the majors since Rickey Henderson had an identical stretch in 1986.

2007 -- Trevor Hoffman became the first major leaguer with 500 career saves when he closed out the San Diego Padres' 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Today's birthdays: Matt Belisle 31; Jeremy Affeldt 32; Mark Ellis 34.

June 7

1885 -- The American Association allowed pitchers to throw overhand.

1906 -- The Chicago Cubs scored 11 runs in the first inning off New York Giants aces Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity and went on to a 19-0 victory.

1931 -- The Philadelphia Athletics left 18 base runners on base and still beat the Detroit Tigers, 12-2.

1936 -- The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians played 16 innings without recording a strikeout. The Yankees won 5-4.

1938 -- Cleveland pitcher Johnny Allen walked off the mound in the second inning and didn't return after plate umpire Bill McGowan wanted Allen's dangling sweat shirt sleeve to be cut off because it was distracting Boston Red Sox hitters. Allen was fined $250 by manager Ossie Vitt and the shirt ended up in the Hall of Fame.

1946 -- Chicago pitcher Claude Passeau won his own game with a two-run game-ending homer in the ninth inning against Brooklyn. The Cubs won 2-0.

1950 -- The Boston Red Sox collected 42 total bases, including six home runs and 23 hits in a 20-4 rout of the St. Louis Browns.

1968 -- Oakland's Blue Moon Odom lost his bid for a no-hitter when Davey Johnson singled with two outs in the ninth inning. Odom settled for a 6-1 win over Baltimore.

1970 -- Vic Davalillo of the St. Louis Cardinals got a pinch hit in the seventh inning -- twice -- in the same game. The Cardinals beat the Padres, 10-7.

1972 -- Gene Alley's bases-loaded walk gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a 1-0, 18-inning victory over the San Diego Padres.

1982 -- Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the fifth major leaguer to play in 1,000 consecutive games.

1983 -- Philadelphia's Steve Carlton struck out Lonnie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning for career strikeout No. 3,522, overtaking Nolan Ryan as the career strikeout king. St. Louis, however, beat the Phillies, 2-1.

1989 -- Ernie Whitt had three hits and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 in the first game in major league history played indoors and outdoors on the same day. With the threat of rain, the SkyDome's $100 million retractable roof was closed.

2006 -- Pitcher Jason Grimsley was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a day after his home was searched by federal agents following his admission he used human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines.

2006 -- Colorado tied a major league record with five sacrifice flies in a 16-9 win over Pittsburgh. Seattle set the mark against Oakland on Aug. 7, 1988.

2007 -- Curt Schilling came within one out of his first career no-hitter, losing his bid when Shannon Stewart lined a clean single to right field in Boston's 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Schilling retired Mark Ellis on a foul pop to end the third one-hitter of his career.

2007 -- Joe Torre became the 10th manager in major league history to get 2,000 victories as the New York Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox 10-3.

2008 -- Johnny Damon went 6-for-6 with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying the New York Yankees to a wild 12-11 victory over Kansas City.

2009 -- Mark Reynolds hit a three-run homer off infielder Josh Wilson with two outs in the 18th inning, sending Arizona to a 9-6 win over San Diego. The Padres were held hitless through nine extra innings by four relievers. Their only baserunners in extras came on three walks. Jon Rauch pitched one inning, Esmerling Vasquez two, Clay Zavada 2 2-3 and Leo Rosales 3 1-3.

Today's birthday: Mark Lowe 28.

June 8

1914 -- New York's Iron Joe McGinnity posted his 14th straight win beating Pittsburgh 2-0. With the win moved the Giants into first place over Chicago.

1927 -- New York's Tony Lazzeri hit three homers in the Yankees 12-11 11-inning win over the Chicago White Sox. Lazzeri's first two homers come off Red Faber and his third was a two-run line drive off George Connally to tie game in the ninth inning. The Yanks were behind 11-6 going into the last inning. New York would win it in the 11th after Cedric Durst tripled Lazzeri was intentionally walked and Ray Morehart singled.

1933 -- Philadelphia's Jimmie Foxx homered in his first three at bats all off Lefty Gomez as the A's beat the New York Yankees 14-10. Foxx had homered his last time up the previous day to tie a major league record of hitting four consecutive home runs. Bobby Lowe did it in 1894.

1940 -- Harry Craft of Cincinnati connected for a home run, a triple, a double and two singles in seven at-bats to lead a 27-hit attack as the Reds pounded the Dodgers 23-2 at Brooklyn.

1950 -- The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns 29-4 at Fenway Park and set major league records for runs scored; most long hits, 17 (nine doubles, one triple and seven homers); most total bases, 60; most extra bases on long hits, 32; most runs over two games, 49; most hits in two games, 51, including 28 this game.

1968 -- Howie Bedell's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning ended Don Drysdale's record streak of 58 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3.

1969 -- The New York Yankees' No. 7 was retired on Mickey Mantle Day. A crowd of 60,096 came to Yankee Stadium to honor Mantle and watched the Yankees sweep the Chicago White Sox 3-1 and 11-2.

1975 -- Detroit's Tom Veryzer doubled with two out in the ninth to end Oakland's Ken Holtzman's no-hitter. Outfielder Bill North misjudged Veryzer's hit but was not charged with an error. Holtzman retired the last hitter for a 4-0 victory.

1986 -- In the longest 9-inning game by time in AL history Baltimore's Lee Lacy went 4-for-6 with three home runs and six RBIs as the Orioles bea the New York Yankees 18-9. The game took 4:16 to complete.

1986 -- Montreal's Floyd Youmans pitched a one-hitter and hit his first major league home run as the Expos rout the Phillies 12-0. Youmans walked seven and allowed an infield single to Glenn Wilson in the second for the only hit.

1996 -- Warren Morris hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Louisiana State a 9-8 victory over Miami in the championship game of the College World Series.

2001 -- Damion Easley became the ninth Detroit player to hit for the cycle as the Tigers beat Milwaukee 9-4. Easley hit an RBI double in the third inning, a three-run homer in Detroit's six-run fifth, a single in the sixth and a triple in the eighth.

2005 -- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez became the youngest member of the 400-homer club when he hit a solo shot in the eighth inning of New York's 12-3 win over Milwaukee.

2007 -- Alfonso Soriano hit three home runs in the first four innings of the Chicago Cubs' 9-1 win over Atlanta.

2010 -- Stephen Strasburg exceeded expectations in his much-hyped major league debut, striking out 14 in seven innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last year's No. 1 overall draft pick allowed four hits, two earned runs and didn't walk a batter, piling up the most strikeouts in a debut since J.R. Richard fanned 15 for Houston in 1971.

June 9

1901 -- The New York Giants set a major league record with 31 hits in beating Cincinnati 25-13. Al Selbach of the Giants went 6-for-7 with two doubles and four singles and scored four runs.

1906 -- Boston snapped a 19-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3.

1914 -- Honus Wagner became the first player in modern baseball to get 3,000 hits.

1935 -- The St. Louis Cardinals became the 10th team in major league history to score a run in every inning in a 13-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

1946 -- Commissioner Happy Chandler imposed five-year suspensions on players who jumped to the Mexican League and three-year suspensions for those who broke the reserve clause.

1946 -- The New York Giants' Mel Ott became the first manager to be ejected in both ends of a doubleheader. The Pittsburgh Pirates won both games, 2-1 and 5-1.

1963 -- Playing the first Sunday night game in major league history because of excessive heat during the day, the Houston Colt .45s handed the San Francisco Giants their seventh straight loss in Houston, 3-0. Turk Farrell and Skinny Brown pitched the shutout.

1966 -- Rich Rollins, Zoilo Versalles, Tony Oliva, Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew homered in the seventh inning for the Minnesota Twins in a 9-4 victory over the Kansas City Athletics.

1979 -- California's Nolan Ryan struck out 16 batters as the Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 9-1. It was the 21st time in his career he struck out 15 or more batters in one game.

1990 -- Eddie Murray of the Los Angeles Dodgers tied Mickey Mantle's record by homering from each side of the plate in the same game for the 10th time in his career. The Dodgers beat the Padres 5-4 in 11 innings.

1998 -- Cecil Fielder of the Angels and Yamil Benitez of the Diamondbacks each hit grand slams in the same inning in Anaheim's 10-8 win over Arizona. It was the first time both teams hit grand slams in the same inning since 1992.

2008 -- Ken Griffey Jr. became the sixth player in baseball history to reach 600 homers with a drive off Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the Cincinnati Reds' 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. Griffey joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa as the only players to reach the mark.

2008 -- Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5. Swisher hit a solo home run from the right side in the fourth inning against Glen Perkins. Swisher turned around and connected as a lefty for a two-run shot in the sixth against Jesse Crain.

Today's birthdays: Mike Fontenot 31.

[Associated Press; Compiled By PAUL MONTELLA]

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