In Today’s Almanac:
St. Paul native pitches three-hit shutout for his hometown Saints
Twins DH hits three home runs
Centerfielder ties modern single-game triples record
Twins go on a 19-1 run
Allison sets single-season grand slam standard
Ortiz has three RBI without an at-bat
Birthdate of a Minnesotan who played for both the Dodgers and the Lakers
and more
Morris Pitches 3-Hit Shutout for St. Paul Saints
A 41-year-old Jack Morris threw a 99-pitch, three-hit shutout as the St. Paul Saints beat the Sioux Falls Canaries 12-0 on Fireworks Night on this date in 1996. Darryl Strawberry hit his team-record 18th and final home run. He was removed from the game early, and it was later announced that the Yankees had signed him.
Oliva Hits Three Homers
Designated hitter Tony Oliva hit three solo home runs in a 7-6 loss in Kansas City on this date in 1973. To date, only one other Twin has hit three home runs in a loss—Brian Dozier in an 11-5 home loss to Kansas City on Sept. 5, 2016, amid the worst season in franchise history.
There have been 13 three-homer games overall in Twins history, and 19 games with at least seven RBIs, but interestingly the two events have never coincided.
Landreaux Ties Modern Single-Game Triples Record
Ken Landreaux tied the modern (since 1900) major-league record with three triples in a 10-3 home win over the Rangers on this date in 1980. Twins center fielder Denard Span also had a three-triple game in 2010. I know you’re wondering, and yes, four players have had three triples and a double in the same game, coming close to setting themselves apart in the record books but not quite doing it:
Twins Go on a 19-1 Run
The Twins went 19-1 from June 11 to this date in 2006. Justin Morneau batted .423 over that stretch, while Joe Mauer only hit an even .400. Since moving to the Twin Cities, the only other time the franchise has won 19 out of 20 was in June 1991.
Allison Hits Third Grand Slam
Bob Allison hit a seventh-inning grand slam in a 7-6 home win over the White Sox on this date in 1961. It was his third grand slam of the season, establishing a team record tied by Rod Carew (1976), Kent Hrbek (1985), Kirby Puckett (1992), and Torii Hunter (2007), and broken by Royce Lewis with four in 2023.
Allison hit the first grand slam in Twins history on April 16—just the fourth game in team history.
Laudner Has Six-RBI Game
1976 Park Center graduate Tim Laudner went 3-for-3 with a sac fly, home run, and six RBIs in a 7-0 Twins win in Cleveland. It was his first of two career six-RBI games, both against Cleveland. He hit a pair of three-run homers at the Dome on April 24, 1988.
Tiant K’s 19 Twins Over 10 Innings
Cleveland’s Luis Tiant pitched all 10 innings, striking out 19 in a 1-0 win over the Twins on this date in 1968. Tiant won 21 games that season, with a league-leading 1.60 ERA and 0.871 WHIP.
He pitched for the Twins in 1970 before being released and going on to become a Red Sox legend.
Ortiz Bats In Three Runs Without Official At-Bat
David Ortiz collected three RBIs without recording an official at-bat in an 11-8 loss to Boston on this date in 2000. He walked with the bases loaded and hit two sacrifice flies.
Birthdate of César Tovar
Twins all-time great César Tovar was born in Caracas, Venezuela on this date in 1940.
Pepito became the first player in Twins history with four extra-base hits in a game on May 21, 1967, connecting for two doubles and two homers in a 12-3 road win over the Angels. Kirby Puckett (1987 and ’89), Rich Becker (1996), Corey Koskie (2001) Michael Cuddyer (2005), Nelson Cruz (2019 & ’20), and Jorge Polanco (2021) have since tied Tovar’s record of four extra-base hits in a single game.
Interesting to note that there have been nine four-XBH games in Twins history and 13 three-HR games but the two events have never coincided.
He played all nine positions on September 22, 1968, striking out Reggie Jackson in the first inning.
Led the league with 36 doubles and 13 triples in 1970, and 204 hits in 1971.
Hit a two-out walk-off home run to complete the second cycle in Twins history (with only 4,240 in attendance).
Birthdate of Howie Schultz
St. Paul Central graduate Howie “Stretch” Schultz was born on this date in 1922. At 6-foot-6, he was rejected for military service during World War II because he was too tall.
He played first base for parts of six major league seasons, beginning with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943 to 1947. The Dodgers traded him to the Phillies on May 10, 1947 when it became abundantly clear that a young man named Jackie Robinson had first base under control.
Following his major league career, Schultz played for the Willmar Rails from 1950 to ‘54, and was an inaugural member of the West Central Baseball Hall of Fame along with Blix Donnelly, Mike Kingery, and others.
He played a little pro basketball, too, winning an NBA championship with the 1951–52 Minneapolis Lakers. (Bud Grant was a member of the ‘49–50 NBA Champ Lakers.)
Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!