Baseball history unpacked, May 13

The simCubs flexed their muscles and the series is tied going into today’s deciding contest, with a road trip on the horizon.

Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Ian Happ all homered in the game. Jose Quintana gave up three earned runs in the first inning, then settled down enough to last five full innings and get the win, his second. The Cubs’ relievers then allowed just one more run while the long ball barrage decided things in their favor, and Craig Kimbrel came on for the save, striking out Christian Yelich as the broadcast had a hiccup.

Today, Jon Lester (6-2, 2.04) takes the hill against Eric Lauer (4-3, 2.88) before the Cubs head to San Diego for four games.

In trade news, the Giants traded Billy Hamilton and SS Bobby Evans to the Braves for Ender Inciarte. The Orioles traded Dwight Smith, Jr to the Athletics for Aristides Aquino, who they had acquired earlier from the Reds, and CF Jay Brunner.

The Cubs acquired LF Lazaro Armenteros from the waiver wire and assigned him to Double-A Tennessee. James Norwood was waived to make room on the 40-man roster for Ian Miller. Should he pass waivers, he’ll return to Triple-A Iowa.

Al will have more information about today’s game in the game post (at 2:30 pm CT, Tuesday, for our 3 p.m. start). I’ll drop the specific URL to the contest in the game thread, but you can lurk at the BCB Media Center and catch it there as well. All past games and highlights reels are available there too, if you want the full #simCubs experience.

... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue brings a you a lighthearted Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review hand-picked scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history*.

Today in baseball history:

• 1929 - At Cleveland’s League Park, the Indians defeat the Yankees, 4-3, in the first game in major league history in which players from both teams wear numbers on the back of their jerseys. (1,3)
• 1942 - Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves almost single-handedly beats the Chicago Cubs at Braves Field, 6-5, by pitching a five-hitter and hitting three consecutive home runs. Tobin, who hit a pinch homer the day before, becomes the only pitcher in modern history to collect three home runs in a game. His fourth at-bat results in a fly ball caught against the fence in left field. (1,3)
• 1958 - Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals collects his 3,000th career hit with a pinch double off Chicago Cubs pitcher Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals win, 5-3. ‘The Man,’ the youngest player to reach the milestone, is the eighth major leaguer to accomplish the feat. (1,3)
• 1969 - With his daughter Jan, along with her classmates, in attendance at chilly Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs reaches the 1,500 runs batted in milestone with seven RBI in a 19-0 shellacking of the expansion San Diego Padres. Hard-throwing right-hander Dick Selma earns the win as the Cubs tie a modern-day record for the most one-sided shutout in National League history. Following the consecutive no-run performances by Ferguson Jenkins and Ken Holtzman, that makes this the first time in 60 years that the team has shut out its opponents in three consecutive games. (1,3)
• 1982 - The Cubs become the first major league team to win 8,000 games when Allen Ripley and Lee Smith combine to shut out Houston in Chicago’s 5-0 victory at the Astrodome. The milestone comes in the 15,337th contest in the 107-year history of the franchise. 91)
• 1991 - In the broadcast booth at Wrigley Field, Skip Caray and Chip Caray, the Braves’ play-by-play announcers, join Cubs legend Harry Caray, the patriarch of the three-generation broadcasting family. The 77-year-old grandfather, known for his warm relationship with the Chicago fans, takes tremendous pride that his son and grandson have chosen to be baseball broadcasters. (1)
• 2009 - Alfonso Soriano hits his 53rd leadoff homer as the Chicago Cubs defeat the Padres, 6-4, in a rain-shortened game. Soriano’s blast ties Craig Biggio for second on the all-time list, still well behind record holder Rickey Henderson at 81; it also breaks the Cubs record held by Jimmy Ryan, as it is Soriano’s 21st such homer since joining the team in 2006. For the Padres, Adrian Gonzalez hits two long balls off winner Ted Lilly. (3)
• Cubs birthdays: Jimmy Archer, Lou Stringer, Bob Smith, Terry Hughes, Willson Contreras, Nico Hoerner.

Sources:

• (1) — The National Pastime.
• (2) — Today in Baseball History.
• (3) — Baseball Reference.
• (4) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (5) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (6) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.

*We try to vet each item. Please let us know if an item is in error, especially if you have a source. Thanks for reading, and please drive home safely.