Game of the Day (4/8/84)

After nearly a week of relatively tepid baseball, the 1984 season finally woke up on April 8. The day featured a Cubs-Padres game in which the score went from 1-0 to 1-1 to 2-1 to 3-2 to 3-3 to 5-3 to 5-5, with the last two rallies coming in the top and bottom of the ninth, before the Cubs finally won 8-5 in the tenth. It also included a Phillies-Reds game in which the Reds rallied from 6-1 down to tie, fended off three Philly scoring threats involving a runner on third (including bases loaded, one out, and second and third, one out), and came from behind again in the bottom of the eleventh to win 8-7.

And though both of them were easily better than any other game played in 1984 up to this point, neither of those exceptional outings was the best of the day. That honor goes to Yankees 4, Rangers 3 (13).

Game of the Day (4/7/14)

On a day with full slate of baseball games, even if the day is relatively uninspiring overall, the best game of a large group is typically rather good.

On a day with only 9 games scheduled and two of those getting rained out, sometimes you get a top result with an unimpressive score - something like Red Sox 5, Rangers 1.

Game of the Day (4/7/84)

Tigers 4, White Sox 0. Noted non-Hall of Fame inductee Jack Morris facing off with former strikeout titlist Floyd Bannister.

Game of the Day (4/6/14)

Twins 10, Indians 7. Ricky Nolasco vs. Justin Masterson.

Game of the Day (4/6/84)

Padres 3, Cubs 2. Scott Sanderson started for the Cubs; he was a starting pitcher for nearly his entire 19-year major league career, yet somehow only threw 200 innings in a season 4 times. If my eyeballing of Baseball-Reference's pitching stats is correct, he is the only pitcher to make at least 400 career starts (407, 120th-most all time) and have that few 200-inning campaigns. (John Burkett, Kevin Millwood, and Tim Wakefield all had 5 200-inning seasons.) This is a feat characteristic of someone good enough to keep making it into starting rotations, but not necessarily good enough to stay there for the entire year.

Even that's an improvement on Padre starter Tim Lollar, who made it into considerably fewer starting rotations over his (much shorter) career.

Game of the Day (4/5/84)

Dodgers 5, Cardinals 2 (12). Rick Honeycutt, one year removed from an AL ERA title, went for the Dodgers. Bob Forsch, one year removed from an 85 ERA+, took the mound for the Cards. (Yes, we've had appearances from both Forsch brothers in Game of the Day within the first week of 1984.)

Game of the Day (4/5/14)

There was a full slate of 15 games yesterday, one of which went to extra innings. Guess which one grades out as the best!

Yes, shockingly, it's Brewers 7, Red Sox 6 (11), marking the second straight contest between these two squads to draw top billing.