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July 18, 2002

Aim For The Head

Scoring Early and Often

by Keith Woolner

This week's question comes from Chuck Valenches, who writes:

I am the broadcaster for the Pirates' Triple-A club, the Nashville Sounds. We do a promotion where fans are encouraged to write in and "Ask the Sounds".... One question we received we cannot find an answer for.

Q. Has there ever been a game in which both teams scored at least one run in every inning, and when was the last time it happened?

Thanks for the question, Chuck. My resources only go back to 1978, and I can find only one instance where even one team scored in nine different innings of a regular game. On May 5, 1999, the Rockies scored in each of their times at bat while visiting the Cubs.

The following games also had one team score in every inning they came to bat (although they didn't bat nine times):

Cubs, September 1, 1978 (eight innings)
Red Sox, August 18, 1979 (five innings)
Phillies, September 19, 1997 (six innings)
Royals, September 14, 1998 (eight innings)
Cardinals, October 3, 1999 (four innings)
Rockies, September 24, 2001 (eight innings)

For both teams combined, the record (since 1978) for a nine-inning contest is 14 half-innings of scoring. Two games have had 15 half-innings of scoring, but one was an 11-inning game, and the other was a 19-inning marathon. I've included the box scores for all five games at the end of this article.

The team that scored in the largest fraction of innings over the course of a season was the 1994 Indians, at 36.07%. No other team since 1978 has topped 35%, and only three have exceeded 34%:

 

Year Team         Scored   Didn't   Pct.

1994 Indians        369     654    36.07
2000 White Sox      498     939    34.66
1996 Indians        494     947    34.28
1998 Yankees        489     941    34.20

Conversely, the team with the smallest fraction of scoring innings was the 1981 Blue Jays, at just 20.17%, and no other team failed to score in at least 21% of its innings. The list (expanded to show a few non-strike year teams) is below:

 

Year Team         Scored   Didn't   Pct.

1988 Braves         334    1144    22.60
1981 Twins          223     765    22.57
1992 Mets           329    1129    22.57
1978 Athletics      328    1128    22.53
1985 Pirates        330    1139    22.46
1981 Padres         227     786    22.41
1985 Giants         325    1155    21.96
1981 Cubs           205     764    21.16
1981 Blue Jays      195     772    20.17

The box scores with the most scoring by both teams are shown below.

 

9 inning game - 14 half-innings of scoring.

Game of 5/5/99 -- Colorado at Chicago (D)

  Colorado           AB  R  H RBI    Chicago            AB  R  H RBI
Sexton C, cf          5  2  2  3   Johnson L, cf         4  0  0  0
Lansing M, 2b         6  0  2  0   Morandini M, 2b       5  1  1  0
Walker L, rf          5  4  3  0   Sosa S, rf            5  1  3  2
Bichette D, lf        5  3  4  2   Grace M, 1b           3  1  0  0
Castilla V, 3b        5  1  0  0   Rodriguez H, lf       4  1  2  0
Abbott K, 1b          4  0  1  1   Hernandez J, ss       4  1  2  2
Helton T, 1b          2  0  1  0   Gaetti G, 3b          3  1  1  1
Perez N, ss           5  3  3  3   Santiago B, c         3  0  1  1
Blanco H, c           4  0  1  0   Mulholland T, p       2  0  0  0
Astacio P, p          3  0  1  0   Barker R, p           0  0  0  0
Veres D, p            0  0  0  0   Martinez S, ph        1  0  0  0
                                   Serafini D, p         0  0  0  0
                                   Myers R, p            0  0  0  0
                                   Woodall B, p          0  0  0  0
                                   Houston T, ph         1  0  0  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     44 13 18  9                        35  6 10  6

Colorado         111 121 222 -- 13
Chicago          023 000 010 --  6

  Colorado             IP  H  R ER BB SO
Astacio P (W)         8.0 10  6  6  3 11
Veres D               1.0  0  0  0  1  1

  Chicago              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Mulholland T (L)*     5.0 11  7  6  2  1
Barker R              1.0  0  0  0  2  1
Serafini D+           1.0  4  4  3  1  0
Myers R               1.0  2  0  0  0  0
Woodall B             1.0  1  2  0  1  0
  * Pitched to 1 batter in 6th
  + Pitched to 3 batters in 8th

Game winning RBI -- none
E -- Gaetti G, Bichette D, Morandini M, Grace M
DP -- Colorado 1, Chicago 2
LOB -- Colorado 12, Chicago 6
2B -- Walker L, Morandini M, Rodriguez H, Bichette D, Abbott K, Perez N
3B -- Walker L
HR -- Perez N, Sosa S, Sexton C, Gaetti G
SB -- Sexton C
SH -- Astacio P 2
WP -- Barker R, Woodall B
T -- 3:04
A - 30079


9 inning game - 14 half-innings of scoring.

Game of 5/28/95 -- Chicago at Detroit (D)
     Box score generated at Tue Jul 16 22:02:50 2002

  Chicago            AB  R  H RBI    Detroit            AB  R  H RBI
Martin N, rf          3  1  0  0   Curtis C, cf          5  3  3  2
Newson W, ph-rf       1  0  0  0   Whitaker L, 2b        4  3  3  2
Raines T, lf          5  2  2  0   Trammell A, ss        6  1  2  1
Thomas F, 1b          5  2  2  2   Fielder C, 1b         5  2  2  5
Kruk J, dh            4  2  1  1   Fletcher S, pr-1b     0  0  0  0
Ventura R, 3b         4  0  1  1   Gibson K, dh          6  2  4  2
Devereaux M, cf       5  3  1  2   Fryman T, 3b          4  0  1  0
Durham R, 2b          5  1  4  3   Higginson B, lf       2  0  0  0
Karkovice R, c        3  2  2  4   Samuel J, ph          0  0  0  0
Grebeck C, ss         3  1  1  1   Steverson T, lf       0  0  0  0
Guillen O, ph-ss      1  0  0  0   Stubbs F, ph          1  0  0  0
                                   Bautista D, rf        6  0  1  0
                                   Flaherty J, c         5  1  1  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     39 14 14 14                        44 12 17 12

Chicago          013 321 130 -- 14
Detroit          431 111 010 -- 12

  Chicago              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Baldwin J             1.1  7  7  7  2  3
McCaskill K           3.0  5  3  3  2  3
Dibble R              1.1  2  1  1  2  2
Radinsky S (W)        2.0  2  1  1  2  1
Hernandez R (S)       1.1  1  0  0  0  2

  Detroit              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Wells D*              3.0  7  7  5  1  2
Doherty J             3.2  5  4  4  2  1
Groom B (L)           0.2  1  3  3  2  1
Henneman M            1.2  1  0  0  1  0
  * Pitched to 3 batters in 4th

Game winning RBI -- none
E -- Grebeck C 2, Wells D
DP -- Chicago 1
LOB -- Chicago 7, Detroit 15
2B -- Devereaux M, Thomas F, Curtis C, Kruk J, Durham R 2, Flaherty J, Gibson K,
 Raines T
HR -- Curtis C 2, Fielder C 2, Durham R, Karkovice R 2, Grebeck C, Gibson K 2,
 Thomas F, Whitaker L
SB -- Gibson K 2, Higginson B, Durham R, Whitaker L, Fryman T
CS -- Fryman T
SF -- Karkovice R 2, Ventura R
HBP -- by Dibble R (Curtis C), by Hernandez R (Fielder C)
T -- 3:46
A - 10813


9 inning game - 14 half-innings of scoring.

Game of 6/30/96 -- Los Angeles at Colorado (D)
     Box score generated at Tue Jul 16 22:03:38 2002

  Los Angeles        AB  R  H RBI    Colorado           AB  R  H RBI
Fonville C, lf        5  2  3  0   Young E, 2b           5  3  2  1
DeShields D, 2b       5  2  2  1   Weiss W, ss           6  2  2  2
Piazza M, c           6  2  2  2   Burks E, lf           4  3  3  3
Karros E, 1b          5  3  2  2   Bichette D, rf        6  2  5  4
Mondesi R, rf         6  3  4  6   Galarraga A, 1b       5  0  0  0
Blowers M, 3b         4  1  2  0   Castilla V, 3b        6  3  3  1
Hollandsworth T, cf   4  2  2  3   Owens J, c            4  1  1  0
Gagne G, ss           4  0  0  0   Reed J, ph            1  0  1  1
Nomo H, p             3  0  1  1   McCracken Q, cf       6  1  2  1
Castro J, ph          1  0  0  0   Thompson M, p         1  0  0  0
Ho Park C, p          0  0  0  0   Bailey R, p           1  0  0  0
Radinsky S, p         0  0  0  0   Holmes D, p           0  0  0  0
Cedeno R, ph          1  0  0  0   Thompson M, ph        1  0  0  0
Osuna A, p            0  0  0  0   Reed S, p             0  0  0  0
Worrell T, p          0  0  0  0   Hubbard T, ph         1  0  0  0
                                   Leskanic C, p         0  0  0  0
                                   Vanderwal J, ph       1  1  1  2
                                   Ruffin B, p           0  0  0  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     44 15 18 15                        48 16 20 15

Los Angeles      005 141 013 -- 15
Colorado         013 411 222 -- 16
  2 outs when winning run was scored.

  Los Angeles          IP  H  R ER BB SO
Nomo H                5.0  9  9  5  4  9
Ho Park C             1.0  2  1  1  1  0
Radinsky S            1.0  3  2  0  0  2
Osuna A               1.0  2  2  0  0  0
Worrell T (L)         0.2  4  2  2  0  0

  Colorado             IP  H  R ER BB SO
Thompson M            2.2  8  5  5  3  2
Bailey R              2.0  3  4  4  2  3
Holmes D              0.1  1  1  1  1  1
Reed S                2.0  1  1  1  0  2
Leskanic C            1.0  2  1  1  0  2
Ruffin B (W)          1.0  3  3  3  0  2

Game winning RBI -- none
E -- Piazza M, DeShields D, Gagne G, Mondesi R, Owens J
DP -- Los Angeles 1
LOB -- Los Angeles 9, Colorado 11
2B -- Blowers M, Nomo H, Weiss W, Burks E, Bichette D, McCracken Q
3B -- Mondesi R
HR -- Castilla V, Piazza M, Karros E 2, Mondesi R 2, Bichette D, Hollandsworth T,
 Burks E, Vanderwal J
SB -- Fonville C, Burks E, Young E 6, McCracken Q 2, Bichette D, DeShields D
SF -- Hollandsworth T
WP -- Nomo H, Ruffin B
T -- 4:20
A - 48103


9 inning game - 14 half-innings of scoring.

Game of 6/12/99 -- San Francisco at Seattle (N)
     Box score generated at Tue Jul 16 22:04:26 2002

  San Francisco      AB  R  H RBI    Seattle            AB  R  H RBI
Benard M, cf          6  2  4  3   Lee Hunter B, lf      5  1  2  0
Mueller B, 3b         5  2  2  1   Rodriguez A, ss       5  1  2  3
Bonds B, lf           7  1  1  0   Griffey K, cf         5  2  2  0
Kent J, 2b            5  3  5  4   Martinez E, dh        3  1  2  2
Snow J, 1b            2  2  1  1   Huskey B, rf          5  1  1  3
Javier S, dh          6  1  2  2   Segui D, 1b           4  1  1  0
Rios A, rf            5  2  3  3   Bell D, 2b            5  1  2  2
Aurilia R, ss         6  1  2  0   Davis R, 3b           5  1  2  0
Mayne B, c            5  1  2  1   Lampkin T, c          5  2  1  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     47 15 22 15                        42 11 15 10

San Francisco    412 400 211 -- 15
Seattle          113 103 110 -- 11

  San Francisco        IP  H  R ER BB SO
Rueter K (W)          5.1 10  8  8  2  2
Spradlin J            0.1  1  1  0  0  1
Embree A*             0.0  0  0  0  0  0
Rodriguez F           1.1  1  1  1  0  1
Johnstone J           1.0  2  1  1  0  1
Nen R                 1.0  1  0  0  0  0

  Seattle              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Garcia F (L)          2.0  6  5  5  3  2
Suzuki M+             1.0  2  3  3  2  0
Cloude K              2.0  4  3  3  2  2
Zimmerman J           2.0  5  2  2  1  3
Carmona R             1.1  5  2  1  1  0
Rodriguez F           0.2  0  0  0  0  0
  * Pitched to 1 batter in 6th
  + Pitched to 1 batter in 4th

Game winning RBI -- none
E -- Lampkin T, Bonds B, Carmona R
LOB -- San Francisco 15, Seattle 7
2B -- Benard M, Griffey K, Bell D, Rodriguez A, Kent J 2, Rios A, Snow J,
 Lee Hunter B
HR -- Kent J, Benard M, Huskey B, Bell D
SB -- Javier S, Rios A, Kent J
SF -- Mayne B
HBP -- by Rodriguez F (Martinez E)
WP -- Cloude K 3
PB -- Lampkin T
T -- 3:57
A - 35625


19 inning game, 15 half-innings of scoring

Game of 7/4/85 -- New York at Atlanta (N)
     Box score generated at Tue Jul 16 22:01:26 2002

  New York           AB  R  H RBI    Atlanta            AB  R  H RBI
Dykstra L, cf         9  1  3  2   Washington C, rf      8  3  3  0
Backman W, 2b        10  2  4  2   Ramirez R, ss         9  2  3  2
Hernandez K, 1b      10  3  4  3   Murphy D, cf          8  1  1  3
Carter G, c           9  1  5  2   Horner B, 1b          4  1  1  0
Strawberry D, rf      7  0  3  1   Perry G, 1b           4  0  0  0
Christensen J, rf     0  0  0  0   Harper T, lf         10  3  5  4
Foster G, lf          2  0  0  0   Oberkfell K, 3b       6  1  3  2
Orosco J, p           0  0  0  0   Camp R, p             2  1  1  1
Sisk D, p             1  0  0  0   Cerone R, c           4  1  1  1
Chapman K, ph         1  0  0  0   Hall A, pr            0  0  0  0
Gorman T, p           2  0  0  0   Benedict B, c         2  0  0  0
Staub R, ph           0  1  0  0   Hubbard G, 2b         3  0  0  0
Darling R, p          0  0  0  0   Shields S, p          0  0  0  0
Knight R, 3b         10  2  3  1   Komminsk B, ph        1  0  0  0
Santana R, ss         4  1  1  0   Sutter B, p           0  0  0  0
Johnson H, ph-ss      5  4  3  2   Chambliss C, ph       1  0  0  0
Gooden D, p           1  0  0  0   Forster T, p          1  0  0  0
McDowell R, p         0  0  0  0   Garber G, p           1  0  0  0
Hurdle C, ph          1  0  0  0   Runge P, ph-3b        2  0  0  0
Leach T, p            2  0  0  0   Mahler R, p           1  0  0  0
Heep D, lf            6  1  2  2   Dedmon J, p           1  0  0  0
                                   Zuvella P, 2b         7  0  0  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     80 16 28 15                        75 13 18 13

New York         100 401 011 000 200 001 5 -- 16
Atlanta          102 010 040 000 200 001 2 -- 13

  New York             IP  H  R ER BB SO
Gooden D              2.1  2  2  2  4  3
McDowell R            0.2  2  1  1  0  1
Leach T               4.0  4  1  1  0  3
Orosco J              0.2  1  4  4  3  1
Sisk D                4.1  3  0  0  1  0
Gorman T (W)          6.0  5  3  3  2  2
Darling R             1.0  1  2  0  2  1

  Atlanta              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Mahler R              3.1  6  3  3  4  2
Dedmon J              2.0  5  3  3  0  1
Shields S             2.2  4  1  1  1  1
Sutter B              1.0  3  1  1  0  1
Forster T             4.0  3  2  2  1  3
Garber G              3.0  1  0  0  2  2
Camp R (L)            3.0  6  6  5  2  2

Game winning RBI -- Knight R
E -- Ramirez R, Johnson H, Camp R, Washington C, Hernandez K
DP -- New York 1, Atlanta 3
LOB -- New York 20, Atlanta 17
2B -- Hernandez K, Oberkfell K, Murphy D, Harper T, Knight R
3B -- Washington C, Hernandez K
HR -- Hernandez K, Johnson H, Harper T, Camp R
SB -- Backman W, Strawberry D
CS -- Washington C
SH -- Backman W, Christensen J
SF -- Dykstra L
PB -- Carter G
T -- 6:10
A - 0


11 inning game, 15 half-innings of scoring

Game of 9/28/95 -- Houston at Chicago (D)
     Box score generated at Tue Jul 16 22:02:04 2002

  Houston            AB  R  H RBI    Chicago            AB  R  H RBI
Cangelosi J, lf       7  0  0  0   McRae B, cf           6  1  2  1
Biggio C, 2b          6  5  4  0   Johnson H, 3b         6  2  2  1
Bagwell J, 1b         4  1  2  0   Grace M, 1b           5  1  3  2
May D, rf             4  1  2  2   Sosa S, rf            3  1  0  1
Eusebio T, ph-c       1  0  0  0   Gonzalez L, lf        5  1  1  2
Magadan D, 3b         4  1  2  2   Young A, p            0  0  0  0
Mouton J, ph-rf       1  1  1  3   Dunston S, ss         5  2  3  0
Lee Hunter B, cf      6  1  3  1   Servais S, c          2  2  2  3
Wilkins R, c          3  0  1  1   Myers R, p            0  0  0  0
Gutierrez R, ph       1  0  0  0   Adams T, p            0  0  0  0
Swindell G, p         0  0  0  0   Zeile T, ph           0  0  0  0
Veres D, p            0  0  0  0   Walker M, p           0  0  0  0
Brumley M, ph         1  1  1  1   Bullett S, lf         1  1  1  1
Jones T, p            0  0  0  0   Hernandez J, 2b       5  0  2  0
Shipley C, ss-3b      5  0  1  1   Bullinger J, p        2  0  1  0
Wall D, p             1  0  0  0   Perez M, p            0  0  0  0
Kile D, p             0  0  0  0   Casian L, p           0  0  0  0
Simms M, ph           1  0  0  0   Franco M, ph          1  0  0  0
A. Martinez P, p      0  0  0  0   Wendell T, p          0  0  0  0
Dougherty J, p        0  0  0  0   Parent M, c           3  1  2  1
Hartgraves D, p       0  0  0  0
Thompson M, ph        1  0  0  0
Tabaka J, p           0  0  0  0
McMurtry C, p         0  0  0  0
Stankiewicz A, ss     1  0  0  0
                     -- -- -- --                        -- -- -- --
                     47 11 17 11                        44 12 19 12

Houston          101 031 120 11 -- 11
Chicago          023 001 120 12 -- 12
  1 out when winning run was scored.

  Houston              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Wall D                2.1  6  5  5  1  1
Kile D                1.2  0  0  0  1  3
A. Martinez P         1.0  0  0  0  1  0
Dougherty J           0.2  2  1  1  0  0
Hartgraves D          0.1  1  0  0  0  0
Tabaka J              0.1  1  1  1  1  0
McMurtry C            0.2  0  0  0  1  1
Swindell G            0.1  3  2  2  0  0
Veres D               2.2  3  1  1  0  3
Jones T (L)           0.1  3  2  2  0  0

  Chicago              IP  H  R ER BB SO
Bullinger J           5.0 10  5  5  2  1
Perez M               0.1  0  1  1  2  0
Casian L              0.2  0  0  0  0  1
Wendell T             1.1  3  2  2  0  2
Myers R               0.1  2  1  1  0  0
Adams T               1.1  0  0  0  0  2
Walker M              1.1  2  2  2  2  1
Young A (W)           0.2  0  0  0  0  1

Game winning RBI -- none
LOB -- Houston 12, Chicago 11
2B -- Bagwell J, Bullinger J, Magadan D, Wilkins R, Parent M, Grace M, Biggio C
3B -- Johnson H
HR -- Servais S, Gonzalez L, Mouton J, Brumley M
SB -- Lee Hunter B 4, Sosa S, Biggio C 2, Stankiewicz A
CS -- Servais S
SH -- Kile D, Zeile T, Eusebio T, Hernandez J
SF -- Grace M, Servais S, Mouton J, Sosa S
WP -- Casian L, McMurtry C
PB -- Parent M 2, Eusebio T
T -- 4:51
A - 14075

 

Keith Woolner is an author of Baseball Prospectus. You can contact him by clicking here.

 

Keith Woolner is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
Click here to see Keith's other articles. You can contact Keith by clicking here

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