On this date (August 13) in 1910, major league baseball saw one of its most “oddly even” games ever. It was part of a double header played in Brooklyn between the Superbas (Dodgers) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first game of the double tilt had been a close contest, with the Pirates emerging with a 13-inning, 3-2 victory. The last half of the double header, however, would prove an even tighter contest – and the time used in completing game one’s 13 innings would come into play.
First, here is the line score of Game 2, August 13, 1910
Pittsburgh 0 1 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 8 13 2
Brooklyn 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 2 0 8 13 2
The two-hour and five-minute game ended in an 8-8 tie, called due to darkness. As you look at the line score, you’ll notice it was pretty even. Each team scored eight runs on 13 hits and each squad made two errors. But, when it came to an “evenly” played game, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Each team recorded 27 putouts (that’s, of course, pretty much a given for a complete nine innings). Each team, however, also recorded: 13 assists; three walks; five strikeouts; one hit batsman; and one passed ball. Further, the hitters collected their 13 safeties apiece on an identical 38 at bats and were awarded an identical five RBI per team. In addition, the pitchers on each team not only gave up eight runs for the game, each set of hurlers gave up seven earned runs over the nine innings. So, we end up with two teams with identical totals for: runs scored; earned runs; putouts, assists; errors; at bats; hits; runs batted in; walks; strikeouts; hit batsmen; and passed balls.
Pirates’ right fielder John Owen “Chief” Wilson hit the only home run in, arguably, MLB’s most evenly contested game. Wilson holds the MLB record for triples in a season (36 in 1912).
Each team also collected one double – and each started a future Hall of Famer in LF (Fred Clarke for the Pirates and Zack Wheat for the Superbas). Pittsburgh, however, had three additional extra base hits (two triples and a home run), while Brooklyn’s only additional extra base hit was a triple. In addition, the Pirates had a second future HOFer in the lineup (Honus Wagner at SS). As an aside, Nap Rucker, the starting pitcher for Brooklyn ended his career with 134 wins and, of course, 134 losses.
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