Sports
MLB’s most mind-blowing hitting, pitching feats of the year — plus the 5 most ridiculous games
There was a game in El Paso where even a two-touchdown lead wasn’t safe. … There was a game in Houston where a pitcher allowed four base runners on three pitches. … And then there was that game in Los Angeles where Mookie Betts hit for the Strangest But Truest cycle of his career. (Spoiler alert: There were no hits involved.)
So if all that could happen, on a baseball diamond near you, how could we not round it up for Part 2 of our Strange But True Feats of the Year extravaganza? You’re welcome!
My 10 favorite Strange But True Hitting Feats of the Year
Kwan You’re Hot, You’re Hot — You’ll never guess how Guardians hit machine Steven Kwan had his 14-game hitting streak end in June. How ’bout … on a hit!
Well, it should have been a hit. The runner on first, Austin Hedges, held up for so long, to see if the ball got through, he managed to get forced out at second, on a line-drive rocket to center field. There went Kwan’s pursuit of Joe DiMaggio!
He’s a pop star — No Dodgers actually hit for the cycle this year, but Mookie Betts did pop up for the cycle. Here’s how his four at-bats went on Sept. 25: Popup to the second baseman … popup to the third baseman … popup to the first baseman … and (yep) popup to the shortstop.
And how many other Dodgers popped up to any base that day? Right you are. That would be none.
Why Oh Wyatt — But you know who did hit for the cycle in 2024? Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford. And Wyatt would we mention that? Because, in his first season in the big leagues, Langford had … a cycle … and an inside-the-park homer … and a walk-off grand slam.
Just to put that in a little perspective … here’s one guy who has never done any of those things: A fellow named Aaron Judge!
All rise … and head for first base — Then again, Aaron Judge also did some stuff this year that nobody has ever done. And since this is the Strange But True Feats of the Year column, we’re not talking about all those baseballs he whomped into the bleachers. We’re talking about stuff like this.
After hitting his 41st HR of the season in the 1st inning, Aaron Judge gets the intentional walk in the 2nd with two out and nobody on. pic.twitter.com/YvPzQ8MXH6
— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2024
That was the sight of Judge getting intentionally walked by the Blue Jays on Aug. 3 … with nobody on base … in the second inning.
So does that mean Judge was getting The Barry Bonds Treatment? I’d vote no!
Career plate appearances by Bonds, first or second inning, no one on: 1,690
Career intentional walks in those situations: Zero!
(Source: Baseball Reference / Stathead)
Arraez-a-roni — I count 43 active players who have struck out five times — in one game.
Then there’s Luis Arraez. He also struck out five times this past season — in the entire second half.
Easy as .1223 — It may go down as the Year of the Jackson. But with apologies to Jackson Merrill, Chourio and Holliday, the most historic Jackson of them all might have been sweet-swinging Rays catcher Alex Jackson.
He batted a pitcher-esque .122 this year (or .1223 if you’re into decimal points), with 53 strikeouts and 17 hits. So what’s so historically Strange But True about that?
Oh, only that it’s the worst batting average in the modern era, among position players who got at least 150 plate appearances in a season. And not only that. Just four hitters in the last 50 years have even come within 15 points of that .1223 average. And one of them was a guy named … Alex Jackson! (He hit .137 in 2021.)
Leading man — I know this sounds like a riddle, but stay with me here. Victor Robles led off for the Mariners in their July 26 game against the White Sox. Drew Thorpe was the White Sox’s starting pitcher. And in the first inning, Robles hit a home run off Thorpe. But … it was not a leadoff homer.
So what happened? Baseball happened! Robles led off that game by grounding out. But it was all downhill from there for Drew Thorpe. He then gave up eight runs in that first inning and finished with (yikes) back-to-back-to-back homers. And who hit the third home run in a row? Mariners leadoff man Victor Robles. Who else!
Don’t Walk This Way — Ever heard of a hitter making an out on his own intentional walk? I never had, either — until the Marlins’ Jesús Sánchez did that in an Aug. 25 game against the Cubs.
He was due up with runners on second and third in a one-run game. So when the Cubs put up four fingers, he started ambling toward first base, but then U-turned back to the dugout when Cristian Pache headed for first to pinch run for him.
Oops! Since Sánchez never made it to first base, the Cubs appealed. He was out, but that’s not all. His walk didn’t even count — because according to the proper authorities, he’d “refused” to go to first base. And it wound up being scored as a 2-unassisted “fly ball” to the catcher — to end an at-bat in which a pitch was never thrown, to a hitter the other team was actually trying to walk. I think this sums up why we could only have a Strange But True Feats of the Year column in …
Baseball!
Honorable mention
Jackson Merrill watches a walk-off home run against the Mets in August. (Orlando Ramirez / Imagn Images)
How incredible (but true) was the rookie season of the Padres’ sensational Jackson Merrill? I think this might sum it up.
As you might have heard someplace, he had five games this year in which he hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later — four of them in a span of four weeks in July and August.
Does that seem good? Here’s how good:
We now have two active $700 million players whose names might sound familiar: Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani. They’ve combined to hit 446 career regular-season home runs. Want to guess how many of those homers they’ve hit that tied games or put their team ahead in the ninth or later?
Yessirree. Five apiece.
• And while we’re on the subject of that Ohtani guy, have I mentioned lately that he got five extra-base hits in one game in Miami? Well, I just mentioned it again, because … well, Tim Anderson.
Those same South Floridians who got to watch The Ohtani Game also spent two months this season watching Tim Anderson — who somehow went two months, and 38 games in a row, without getting any extra-base hits. That seems hard!
• Speaking (one more time) about Ohtani … there’s this crazy note. Ohtani stole 59 bases this season. His teammate, Freddie Freeman, was hurting so much by October, he needed ankle surgery after the season. So what were the odds of this:
SB by Ohtani in the 2024 postseason — 0
SB by Freddie Freeman in the 2024 postseason – 1
• Also, what were the odds of this:
Those Strange But True Phillies hitters had three nine-inning games in 2024 in which they struck out 17 times. Their record in those games was … 3-and-0!
Meanwhile, all the other teams out there had 10 games this year when they struck out 17 times (or more). So how many times did all those teams win a game like that? That would be exactly one!
• You know who did not throw away his shot in 2024? Jose (Cousin of Lin-Manuel) Miranda of the Twins. He made sure the world would know his name by getting a hit in 12 straight at-bats in July. Yes, 12!
Tony Gwynn never got a hit in 12 straight at-bats. Ted Williams never got a hit in 12 straight at-bats. George Brett never got a hit in 12 straight at-bats. But Jose Miranda did. Would you believe that the year before, Miranda got a total of four hits in the big leagues after April? Yep. He went 4-for-35. And then, in 2024, that same guy went 12-for-12. Because of course he did!
• The Brewers alerted the Strange But True authorities by hitting six grand slams in two weeks. The Red Sox, on the other hand, alerted the Strange But True authorities by forgetting to hit any grand slams all season (although they did give up nine of them).
• Hey, did somebody say grand slams? Are you familiar with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies?
Here’s how the IronPigs won their first game of the season: On a walk-off grand slam.
Want to guess how they won their last game of the season? On a walk-off grand slam. Because baseball symmetry is awesome.
• And the grand-slam tidbits don’t end there, because there are all those other slams hit across baseball this year. Then there’s Parker Meadows of those remarkable Detroit Tigers.
He came to the plate with two outs in the ninth, Sept. 5 in San Diego. The Tigers were one out from getting shut out. They trailed by three. The count went full. Then this happened.
Parker Meadows hits a go-ahead grand slam with the @Tigers down to their last strike! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XdGZXdok42
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2024
According to our friends from STATS Perform, two players in history have hit that slam — one out away from being shut out, three runs down on the road. One was Parker Meadows. The other? Some guy named Ted Williams.
• And finally, we could devote an entire Strange But True column to Reds freak of nature Elly De La Cruz. But let’s just mention he did all of this (plus lots more):
Stole second on a throw back to the pitcher!
Scored from third on a routine one-hopper back to the pitcher!
Got four extra-base hits in one game on his way to leading the major leagues in stolen bases. (The last MLB stolen-base champ to do that: Willie Mays … in 1958!)
And ran four 3-and-0 counts in one game. You know who never did that? Famous Reds count-worker Joey Votto never did that!
Elly De La Cruz, man. He’s breaking everything we ever thought we knew about …
Baseball!
My 10 favorite Strange But True Pitching Feats of the Year
Rowdy Tellez, the closer. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)
What a juxta-position — Who would you rather send to the mound — Luis Guillorme or your friendly neighborhood Cy Young Award winner? Don’t answer too quickly now, if only because …
This really happened in May and June: Sixteen consecutive position players took the mound in real big-league baseball games … and threw 16 shutout innings in a row!
Meanwhile, the American League’s Cy Young and ERA champ, Tarik Skubal, made it to the mound 31 times during his spectacular breakout season … and never threw more than 11 shutout innings in a row!
All our Rowdy friends — Or maybe you should just get Rowdy. By which we can only mean everybody’s favorite emergency closer, Rowdy Tellez.
• Sept. 22, 2023: Against all odds, Rowdy takes the hill and gets the last three outs of a postseason-clincher (for the Brewers).
• Sept. 4, 2024: Rowdy takes the mound again (this time for the Pirates) and gets the last three outs of a no-hitter (OK, not for his team). So what if this was a game in which the Pirates got no-hit — and lost, 17-0 — against the Cubs. Whatever. Because …
Rowdy Tellez (not an actual relief pitcher): Did both of those things!
Mariano Rivera (greatest relief pitcher ever): Never did both of those things!
The Nick of Time — The good news for Boston’s always-innovative Nick Pivetta: He had two games this year (May 30 and July 10) in which he struck out eight hitters in a row.
The bad news for Pivetta: He lost both of those games!
Losses by everyone else in history who has ever struck out that many hitters in a row in a game: Three! Losses by Pivetta just in 2024: Two!
Saved by the Bello — But in Pivetta’s defense, I’m starting to think the Red Sox turned this stuff into practically an epidemic. I draw that conclusion because of what happened on July 9, in the game before Pivetta whiffed eight in a row the second time.
In that game, his rotation mate, Brayan Bello, got 10 straight outs on strikeouts in a game against the A’s. Which sounds pretty awesome, except …
All the guys who didn’t strike out against him that day went 9-for-13 (.692), with two walks!
So was he A) unhittable? Or B) way too hittable? Correct answer: Yes!
They said there’d be no math — You know why this column needs to exist every year? Because of stuff like this: On July 3, Blue Jays reliever Jose Cuas rolled into a tight game in Houston and did the most mathematically impossible thing any reliever could ever do.
He allowed four straight base runners … on three pitches.
Here we go: Intentional walk … single on the next pitch … hit batter on the next pitch … and then another HBP on the pitch after that.
As you know, we don’t bother wasting actual pitches on those intentional walks anymore. So yep, that’s four batters reaching base on three pitches … which seems challenging, if only because … it’s never been done (not in the pitch-counting era, since 1988, anyway).
But wait. There’s more, because the reliever who preceded Cuas to the mound, Zach Pop, allowed two more base runners on his last three pitches (but also got a line-drive out). So that’s six base runners … on six pitches … with an out mixed in there just for fun.
Hat tip to Robert Ford and Steve Sparks, of the entertaining (and mathematically savvy) Astros radio booth, for thinking I might be interested in this.
But while we’re on the subject — Can we also salute Phillies reliever Ricardo Pinto for his exercise in mathematical incorrectness? He strolled into an April 20 game against the White Sox … and issued a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced … but one of those pitches was a strike.
How’d he do that? Repeat after me: pitch clock! Yep, he got hit with a clock violation (and ball one) before he threw any actual pitches.
When the clock strikes none — Since we’re talking pitch clocks, congratulations (I guess) to Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan. In a June 22 visit to Colorado, he didn’t just make baseball history. He made tick-tocking history — by becoming the first pitcher to let a game end by forgetting to throw a pitch until after the pitch clock ticked to zero.
Want to see what the most innovative blown save in history looked like? Here you go.
Rockies-Nationals ended on a…
Pitch clock violation??
🎥 @TalkinBaseball_ pic.twitter.com/TMsGdMYvtT
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) June 23, 2024
Finnegan arrived on the mound in the ninth with the Nationals leading, 7-6. If he was looking for a way to make people forget that he started this outing by going single, single, single, single to the first four hitters, this did the trick! He then just hung onto the baseball until it turned into a game-ending “clock-off” and history was made.
Memo to Kyle: If your favorite thing about this sport used to be Baseball — the game without a clock, it’s time to find a new favorite thing!
I remember it all too Criswell — You know what else seems hard to do? That thing that Red Sox reliever Cooper Criswell did in an Aug. 16 game in Baltimore.
So what did he do? He blew a save in a game he entered in the second inning. How even? In another eminently 2024 development, Criswell inherited a 2-0 lead, in a game started by an opener (Brennan Bernardino). He then gave up six runs in the next 3 1/3 innings. And he got an official blown save out of it. Baseball!
It’s all about face time — You can wash your face. You can save face. You can face the music. Or you can do what Ben Heller and Hunter Brown did this year. Just keep facing hitter after hitter after hitter.
• Ben Heller’s day (June 9): Faced 12 hitters in the 10th inning! Ever heard of a relief pitcher facing 12 hitters in an extra inning (and hitting three of them) without getting taken out of the game? Heller pulled that off for the Pirates in this game against Minnesota, never getting yanked despite allowing nine base runners and seven runs! He’s the first reliever to make it through a 12-batter extra inning since Jack Baldschun … in 1966!
• Hunter Brown’s day (April 11): Faced 14 hitters in the first inning! It must be hard to face that many hitters in the first inning (especially without even getting three outs). I’m only guessing that because no starter in the modern era had ever done it before Brown’s mind-blowing 11-hit, nine-run evening for the Astros versus Kansas City. Devin Williams gave up only 10 hits all season (to 88 hitters). Brown gave up 11 in one inning!
Batters Not Included — Sean Newcomb won one game for the A’s this year (June 11 versus the Twins). But that’s not the reason he showed up in this column. It’s his line in the box score that day that got him into this column:
Batters faced — Newcomb 0.
Turns out he was way better off not throwing any pitches than he was when he did his regular job. He won zero times in all those games he actually pitched to somebody. In this game, all he did was head for the mound and pick Austin Martin off first base before facing anybody. That was the last out of the eighth inning. Then he vultured his only win on a Shea Langeliers homer a half-inning later. Now that, friends, is the beauty of …
Baseball!
Honorable mention
Emmanuel Clase, from dominating to dreadful. (David Dermer / Imagn Images)
• How Strange But True a season was this? Neither of the two reigning Cy Young Award winners (Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell) won a game before July 13!
• How Strange But True a season was this? The best closer on Earth, Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase, allowed only five earned runs and two homers all season. That’s in 74 appearances and 270 batters faced. … Then, naturally, that same guy headed for the mound in the postseason … and allowed eight earned runs and three homers in a span of five appearances and 23 batters. Crazy!
• Astros reliever Kaleb Ort had an interesting day at the office on Sept. 18. He faced three hitters that day in San Diego. They went: homer … homer … homer. How many home runs did he allow to the other 90 hitters he faced this year? Four!
• Orioles reliever Yohan Ramírez’s first three pitches of an outing in April went well: hit batter, wild pitch, wild pitch. But hey, he was unhittable!
• In back-to-back Twins games in June, Bailey Ober retired the last 17 hitters he faced, then Pablo López went out the next day and retired the first 17 hitters he faced.
• Gerrit Cole in a Sept. 20 start in Oakland: nine innings, two hits allowed, one win … but no complete game. Wait. How’d that happen? The Yankees won in the 10th — so Cole became the first Yankee to go nine, win and still not collect a complete game since Ed Figueroa … on Sept. 17, 1976!
• The cool news for Cubs rookie Ben Brown was, he threw a secret no-hitter — by getting 35 outs in a row between hits over two starts. The not-so-cool news was, he didn’t win either start!
• And here’s the name of this game: A Spencer (Schwellenbach) gave up two home runs in the same game to a Spencer (Horwitz). … James McCann (not an actual pitcher) gave up a home run to Kyle McCann. … And in the Strangest But Truest game of 2024 — as determined by how many times my phone buzzed in the middle of the night during a vacation in Europe — Ranger Suárez became the first Ranger ever to beat — yup — the Rangers.
Some people come home from vacation and show all their photos to their friends. Only I come home from vacation and spend an hour looking up how many pitchers have beaten a team with the same name.
I’ll spare you the whole research project. But the most shocking thing I learned was this: Somehow, Socks Seibold went a combined 0-5 in his career against the White Sox and Red Sox! That makes no sense, even in …
Baseball!
My five favorite Strange But True Games of the Year*
(*Regular-season division)
You know how hard it was to keep this list to only five?
I had to leave out a game where the Red Sox stole nine bases against the Yankees. As recently as 2021, the Sox stole nine bases in the entire second half of the season.
I also had to leave out a game where the Tigers pinch hit for their No. 5 hitter three at-bats in a row … and all three of the pinch hitters got a hit. Last time they did that, Sparky Anderson was their manager.
And I even had to leave out a game where the A’s had one player (Lawrence Butler) hit three home runs and another player (JJ Bleday) go 5-for-5 … and they still lost.
There were about a million more, naturally. But these were my five favorites. Feel free to drop yours in the comments section.
First prize
Sept. 30: Mets 8, Braves 7 — Was this the greatest postseason-clinching game since the Bobby Thomson Game? If you tell me yes, I won’t argue, because holy moly.
Technically, this was not a playoff game. It just felt like one because it was a win-and-you’re-in game for both teams. It was also a makeup game in Atlanta the day after what was supposed to be the last day of the season.
So it was a wild one before it ever started. Then all this happened:
• The Mets arrived in the eighth inning with three hits, no runs, a 3-0 canyon to climb out of and a 7 percent win probability. Did that sound promising?
• They also had a 77-game losing streak when they trailed by at least three runs in the eighth or later. So that was not ideal.
• Naturally, they then scored six shocking runs in the top of the eighth to take a 6-3 lead.
• But then, because this game needed to go further off the rails, they gave up four shocking runs in the bottom of the eighth to fall behind again, 7-6.
• And then … aw, just cue up the video player for the epic Francisco Lindor homer that won this thing!
HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!
FRANCISCO LINDOR 2-RUN HOMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/gzHc1zxNuo
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 30, 2024
So was that Strange But True enough for you — with these teams coughing up late-inning leads three half-innings in a row, with their postseason lives hanging on every pitch? Let’s agree on yes — if only because it made the Mets the first team to clinch a postseason spot with a late-inning game script like that since the 1903 Pirates. And if you don’t recall that Pirates game real vividly, it might be because they did that to clinch the first postseason spot ever.
Second prize
June 20: The Rickwood Game (Cardinals 6, Giants 5) — Who writes these scripts? How can it not be the baseball gods?
How could it be possible that the late, great Willie Mays left this earth in the very same week in June that Major League Baseball returned to the first pro ballpark he ever played in — Rickwood Field? But somehow, that happened. And so did this …
There were two home runs hit in that Rickwood Field game, the first National League or American League game ever played in the state of Alabama, Mays’ home state.
• The first home run was hit by a man from Alabama, Brendan Donovan.
• The second home run was hit by Heliot Ramos … the man playing center field for the Giants in what we’ll always remember as The Willie Mays Game.
Baseball! Always amazing.
Heliot Ramos brings Rickwood to its feet#MLBatRickwood | @MLB pic.twitter.com/Zzhl20vS0C
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 21, 2024
Third prize
April 16: Rays 7, Angels 6, in 13 ridiculous innings — I don’t know what your nomination is for the most whacked-out game of 2023. But here’s mine. How the heck did the Rays ever win this game?
With two outs in the ninth, they were two runs behind, had nobody on base and had gotten one hit all night. But a Luis Rengifo error started a miracle two-run, game-tying rally. And that wasn’t even the Strange But True part.
The Rays then went on to win a game that they trailed in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 13th innings. So what’s so Strange But True about that? Ho-ho-ho.
Here’s the complete list of teams since 1912 that have won a game they trailed in the ninth, 10th, 11th and any extra inning from the 13th on:
The 2024 Rays.
And that’ll do it for that complete list!
(Hat tip for that tidbit: the great Katie Sharp of Baseball Reference.)
Fourth prize
April 28-30: Miami Mayhem trifecta! All right, so I’m cheating slightly with this one. It’s not one game. It’s two — and I’m attaching an epilogue that actually makes it three!
Sorry. It’s my Strange But True column, so I get to bend these rules when it’s convenient. Feel free to file suit if you know a lawyer who would take that case. Anyway …
The Marlins in that April 28 game (against the Nationals): Scored six runs in the first inning … and lost!
The Marlins two days later (against the Rockies): Gave up five runs in the first inning … and won!
What’s Up with That? Does that seem hard? It’s so hard, according to my friends at STATS Perform, that the Marlins became the first team to blow a first-inning lead that big and then make up a first-inning hole that huge, in a span of three games, in the modern era. But also …
Special bonus What’s Up with That? If you thought that was hard, think about how the Marlins won that April 30 game. They trailed by five in the bottom of the ninth. They trailed again (6-5) in extra innings. And they still won. How short is the list of teams in the modern era to win a game after doing that? So short that they’re the only team on it. But don’t touch that screen because …
One more bonus What’s Up with That? There were five runs scored in the top of the first inning in that April 30 game. There were five runs scored in the bottom of the ninth. There were no runs scored in any of the 34 half-innings in between. Ever seen a game like that before? No, you haven’t, because, according to STATS, that was the only game in the modern era where that’s happened, too. But wait a second because …
Here comes that epilogue! Now let’s spin the time machine ahead four months to Aug. 27, when the Marlins traveled to Colorado for the rematch. Could this happen again? Why the heck not!
In other words, two times this year, the Marlins trailed the Rockies by at least four runs in the ninth inning … and came back to win both games. Not to suggest it had been a while since any team did that twice in one season against the same team. But …
The last time it happened was 98 years ago … when Babe Ruth’s 1926 Yankees pulled that off versus the Tigers. And that’ll be the last comp ever between any Babe Ruth Yankees team and the 2024 Marlins. I promise.
Fifth prize
Sept. 11: Mets 6, Blue Jays 2 — So was this The Francisco Lindor Game? Or was that game in Atlanta the Francisco Lindor Game?
Does it even matter? It just tells us a lot about Lindor’s season — and the Mets’ finish — that we even have to debate that question.
So what was the Strange But True deal with this game? Take a deep breath. Here goes.
Toronto’s Bowden Francis took a no-hitter into the ninth … for the second time in four starts!
Toronto’s Bowden Francis lost a no-hitter in the ninth … for the second time in four starts! Last pitcher to lose two no-hitters like that in the same season: some guy named Nolan Ryan, in 1989. But let’s keep going.
That Francisco Lindor dude was the reason Francis lost this no-hitter, thanks to yet another OMG-That-Just-Happened home run. Linsanity!
FRANCISCO LINDOR BREAKS UP THE NO-HITTER WITH A HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/QAFKLBNUVY
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 11, 2024
Except after that … there was more wackiness, because the Mets, a team desperately trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, went from being no-hit to putting up a six-run ninth! Friend of the column Eric Orns reports it was the most runs ever scored in the ninth inning by any team that had zero hits in all the other innings … because how could it not be! So …
What. A. Game. Except that, if you’ve read this far, you know it wasn’t even the Mets’ most Strange But True win of the year, the month or even this portion of this column!
Minor-league bonus game
June 9: El Paso Chihuahuas 17, Las Vegas Aviators 16 — Finally, here’s a line score you don’t see every day.
That’s what the scoreboard looks like when a team blows a 15-1 lead. And that’s a thing that happened, in real life, to the Las Vegas Aviators of the Pacific Coast League, back in June. They led, 15-1, in the fourth. They still lost, 17-16, to those pesky El Paso Chihuahuas.
And even though that did not happen in a league known as “the major leagues,” is it Strange (but True) enough to make it into this column? Apparently!
How many big-league teams have ever done that? Ha-ha. That answer would be … zero. Of course! The most runs any big-league team has ever trailed by and won is 12 — done once in the last 99 years, by Jim Thome’s 2001 Indians, in a game the Mariners do not have fond memories of.
The Chihuahuas gave up a 10-run inning … and won! Yep, they served up a 10-spot to Vegas in the fourth inning … and won anyway. So how many teams in AL/NL history have done that? According to STATS, that answer is six — but three of those happened in 1912. And no one since has done it as late as the fourth inning (or beyond). But also …
They had a nine-run inning after giving up a 10-run inning! One more indication that this game was bonkers: Three innings after allowing 10 runs in an inning, El Paso scored nine in the seventh inning. That’s happened once in the big leagues … in the past 90 years! (The Rays and Orioles did it in 2006.)
So it obviously isn’t every year that the Strange But True Feats of the Year column has to head for El Paso to chronicle a game like that. But it’s just our way of reminding you that you need this column to exist — and we need this column to exist — because in case you hadn’t noticed, you never know what the heck might happen in …
Baseball!
The Year in Strange But True
GO DEEPER
MLB’s Strange But True 2024: The team, game, inning and homer of the year — plus The Ohtani Game
GO DEEPER
MLB’s weirdest injuries of 2024: Beware of water bottles, heating pads and walls
(Top photo of Elly De La Cruz: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Sports
Thunder lose star Jalen Williams for Western Conference Finals Game 7 as hamstring injury lingers
Spurs force Game 7 vs. Thunder, SGA struggles, Will Wemby carry this momentum? | The Herd
Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points and 10 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs’ 118-91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the WCF. Jason McIntyre says that Wemby showed up in the biggest moments, and asks if he can carry this momentum into Game 7. Plus, he discusses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s struggles and asks if he will cost the Thunder the series.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be shorthanded in Saturday’s pivotal Game 7, as one of Oklahoma’s key contributors has been sidelined with an injury.
OKC guard Jalen Williams has been ruled out for Game 7 with a hamstring issue, ESPN reported on Friday. Williams appeared to aggravate his left hamstring during the Thunder’s 122-113 victory in Game 2. He missed the next three games before returning for Game 6, but logged just 10 minutes off the bench in Oklahoma City’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, which forced a winner-take-all Game 7.
“He’s obviously not 100%,” Mark Daigneault, the head coach of the Thunder, said.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams watches during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Daigneault applauded Williams for fighting through the injury and doing everything he could to help Oklahoma City.
“He didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect. So, it was a matter of getting him out there in kind of an insulated role and see what he can bring to the team. He’s an All-Star player, he’s an All-NBA player. He hasn’t done a full return to play [protocol] like he would if this was the regular season, and yet, he just wants to do whatever he can to try to contribute whatever he can to the team.”
BLOCKBUSTER GAME 7 SHOWDOWN: FOUR BEST BETS FOR SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
“I give him a lot of credit to get himself out there. He did the best he could. He’s certainly not the reason we lost.”
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams reacts to a shot by forward Luguentz Dort in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the Western Conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 18, 2026. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)
Williams did not talk to reporters after Thursday’s game in San Antonio.
Williams underwent surgery last offseason to repair a wrist injury but still played a key role in the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals last season. He appeared in just 33 regular-season games before this year’s playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams drives into the paint during the first quarter of Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 20, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The winner of Saturday’s Game 7 will advance to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks. New York snapped a nearly three-decade Finals drought by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
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CLOVIS — Cool conditions produced a bunch of fast times Friday at the CIF state track and field championships.
Rosary Academy sprint coach Jon Gilmer was worried 4×100-meter relayers Tra’via Flournoy, Justine Wilson, Pfeiffer Lee and Maliyah Collins might get complacent at prelims, but the Royals were the top qualifiers in 45.13 seconds — nearly a full second faster than Canyon Country Canyon (46.07) — at Buchanan High School.
“It’s different not having Calabasas here,” Gilmer said. “Now we’ve got to push ourselves.”
Rosary set a state record (44.23) at the Arcadia Invitational on April 11, but lost to the Coyotes one week later at the Mt. SAC Relays. However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.
Collins had a huge lead by the time she received the stick for the anchor leg Friday.
“This is maybe our fourth- or fifth-fastest time but we just wanted to make finals,” said Wilson, who ran the second leg before handing off to Lee. “We want to run faster tomorrow when we go for a PR, the meet and the state record.”
Calabasas might be out of the relay, but three Coyotes remain in contention in the 100, led by Malia Rainey (the top qualifier in 11.54), Marley Scoggins (11.63) and Olivia Kirk (11.63).
Calabasas sprinter Marley Scoggins, center, wins her 100-meter heat at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Collins won her heat in 11.62, the third-fastest time.
Servite won the first heat in the boys 4×100 relay in 40.29 — two hundredths off its winning time at last year’s state finals — and is primed to defend its title in the event. Concord De La Salle (40.81) was the second-fastest qualifier, followed by the other heat winners, Rancho Cucamonga (40.87) and Loyola (40.93).
“We got the stick around pretty good today,” said Jorden Wells, who ran the first leg Friday instead of his customary second leg, which was run by Jaelen Hunter. “Did it feel different? Not really, I’ve done it before.”
Wells said his twin brother Jace will run the first leg Saturday, he will run the second while Kamil Pelovello and Benjamin Harris will stay in the third and fourth positions.
Harris, the favorite to win the 100 meters, won his heat in a wind-legal 10.36, but three others were fractions faster in wind-aided times — Elk Grove’s Cy Lugo (10.20), Will Wood’s Deshawn Seymour (10.34) and De La Salle’s Damari Dean (10.34). Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin won the last heat in 10.37, setting the stage for an exciting finals sprint as all nine qualifiers ran under 10.48.
Harris put himself in position for a Saturday double by winning his 200 heat in 21.10 but as he did in the 100, Lugo (the Sac-Joaquin Section record holder) had the fastest time (20.73), followed by Seymour (20.88), Camren Hughes (20.93) of Palos Verdes and Jace Wells (21.02). Jordan Wells (21.11) also made the cut.
Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin, center, shouts after winning his heat in the 100 meters at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Servite (3:15.43) had the second-fastest qualifying time in the 4×400-meter relay behind only El Cerrito (3:14.96) of the North Coast Section.
Coming off a state-record 3:33.83 at the Masters Meet in Moorpark, Long Beach Wilson’s 4×400 girls relay had the fourth-fastest qualifying time (3:46.73) without two out of its best runners (Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado), taking second in the first heat behind San Luis Obispo (3:45.85) and safely advancing to the finals along with Heat 2 runner-up Rosary (3:45.08) and Heat 3 winner Canyon Country Canyon (3:46.77).
Having broken the Southern Section record in the 400 meters six days earlier in 51.98, Adams put it in cruise control to win her heat in 53.53, the fastest qualifying mark. Joining her in the final will be her three relay teammates Varnado (54.42), Wilson (54.57) and Fowler (54.62). Adams later won her 200 heat in 23.60, a tenth of a second behind fastest qualifier Naiaja Sizemore of Vanden.
San Jacinto Valley Academy’s Kaahliyah Lacy ran a wind-legal 13.59 for the top qualifying spot in the girls 100 hurdles and Varnado (40.85) was the top qualifier in the 300 hurdles.
Another showdown is brewing in the boys 400, where Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes (47.08) and Hunter (47.21) won their heats in the two fastest times Friday. Hunter clocked 46.32 to set a California freshman record last spring, but lost to Yohannes by 11 hundredths of a second at the Masters Meet.
City Section champion Jayden Rendon showed good form in his bid to defend the state 300 hurdles crown, posting the fastest prelims time (36.80). He also advanced to the finals in the 110 hurdles with a 13.83 effort. Moorpark’s Davis Benson (14.03) nabbed the last spot.
Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe, right, wins the first heat of the 800 meters at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Corona Santiago senior Braelyn Combe won her 1,600 heat in 4:46.88 and is set for a four-lap battle with San Diego Section champion Chiara Dailey of La Jolla, who won the second heat in 4:46.00. Combe is the defending champion, having edged Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery by five hundredths of a second in the finals last year.
“I just wanted to advance with as little effort as possible,” Combe said. “It was not as hard as I expected. I don’t want to leave any regrets. I’m taking it one race at a time.”
Combe also had the fastest time (2:08:25) of three heats in the 800 meters.
Venice senior Lawrence Kensinger, who set the City Section shot put record with a state-leading throw of 65 feet 11 inches last week, had the third-best mark at prelims (59-6¾) and easily advanced to the finals. Defending state high jump champion JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame tied nine others for the second-best mark (6-6) heading into the second day.
Aliso Niguel senior Jaslene Massey had the top marks in the girls shot put (51-3¾) and discus (175-6) and transgender athlete AB Hernandez from Jurupa Valley was the leading qualifier in the girls long jump (20-5½) and triple jump (41-8½) and was one of 13 qualifiers in the high jump.
AB Hernandez competes at the CIF state track and field preliminaries at Buchanan High School on Friday.
(Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
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We’re approaching the biggest sporting event North America has ever hosted.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across the USA, Canada and Mexico in 13 days.
Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the global spectacle, which will kick off on June 11. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
After the World Cup groups were announced in December, Spain opened as the favorite at +450, followed by England (+550) and France (+750).
Now, with less than two weeks to go, Spain has slightly drifted to +475, with both France and England making up ground on the oddsboard.
Let’s dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
2026 World Cup winner odds
Spain: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.5 total)
France: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Brazil: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Portugal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Germany: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Netherlands: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Norway: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Morocco: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Uruguay: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
United States: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Switzerland: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Japan: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Mexico: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Croatia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ecuador: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Senegal: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Sweden: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
HOST NATIONS
United States
The United States is led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards, with several players competing in Europe’s top leagues. The U.S. has appeared in 11 previous World Cups, with its best finish coming in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals.
Canada
Canada’s key players include Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, giving the squad top-tier pace and goal-scoring ability. Canada has made two previous World Cup appearances, and is still looking for its first win ever in the tournament.
Mexico
Mexico’s top contributors include Raul Giménez and Edson Álvarez, forming a strong mix of attacking talent and midfield stability. Mexico has played in 17 previous World Cups and reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986.
UEFA TEAMS TO KNOW
Spain
Spain’s top talents include Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, forming a core that blends elite playmaking with scoring depth. Spain has appeared in 16 previous World Cups and won the tournament once, lifting the trophy in 2010. The team also won the 2024 Euros.
France
France enters with Kylian Mbappé as the star player, with the 26-year-old just five goals shy of passing Miroslav Klose (16) for the most career goals at the World Cup. France has made 16 previous World Cup appearances and won the title twice, in 1998 and 2018.
England
England’s key players include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, forming one of the nation’s strongest generations in decades. England has reached 16 previous World Cups and won the trophy once, in 1966.
Germany
Germany features Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich as central figures in a talented squad. Germany has participated in 20 previous World Cups and won four titles, most recently in 2014.
Portugal
Portugal’s top group includes Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, with Cristiano Ronaldo still involved as the team’s all-time leading scorer and cap leader. Portugal has competed in eight previous World Cups and recorded its best finish in 2006, reaching the semifinals.
Netherlands
The Netherlands features top players such as Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries, forming a core built around elite defending and midfield control. Memphis Depay should also be on the team, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Netherlands has appeared in 11 previous World Cups and finished as runner-up three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
CONMEBOL TEAMS TO KNOW
Argentina
Argentina is anchored by Lionel Messi, with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez— headlining one of the most talented rosters in the tournament. Argentina has played in 18 previous World Cups and won three, including the most recent tournament in 2022.
Brazil
Brazil’s roster is led by Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Marquinhos, giving the team elite attacking and defensive quality. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and holds a record five titles, with its most recent one coming in 2002.
Uruguay
Uruguay’s leading players include Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, forming a core with elite midfield range and speed. Uruguay has appeared in 14 previous World Cups and won the tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950.
Colombia
Colombia is headlined by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, with the former playing for Bayern Munich and the latter having a decorated World Cup résumé. Colombia has made six previous World Cupsand recorded its best finish in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals.
CAF TEAMS TO KNOW
Morocco
Morocco’s key contributors include Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazaroui and Brahm Díaz, each with major European club experience. Morocco has appeared in six previous World Cups and achieved its historic best finish in 2022, reaching the semifinals.
Senegal
Senegal’s top players include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, forming one of Africa’s most experienced cores. Senegal has appeared in three World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Ghana
Ghana is led by Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams, giving the squad strong playmaking and midfield presence. Ghana has competed in four previous World Cups and reached its best result in 2010, making the quarterfinals.
AFC TEAMS TO KNOW
South Korea
South Korea is headlined by Son Heung-min, supported by key players such as Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in. South Korea has played in 11 previous World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the semifinals as co-host.
Japan
Japan features Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma as its leading players, blending top European experience with emerging talent. Japan has appeared in seven previous World Cups and reached the Round of 16 four times, its best result to date.
Australia
Australia’s top players include Jackson Irvine and keeper Mathew Ryan as its most experienced members. Australia has competed in six previous World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, in 2006 and 2022.
OFC TEAMS TO KNOW
New Zealand
New Zealand is led by all-time leading scorer Chris Wood, with 45 international goals to his name. New Zealand has appeared in two previous World Cups (1982, 2010), and did not advance from the group stage in either appearance.
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