» “In the BigInning…” | Blogging-Baseball.com

“In the BigInning…”

It is a wonderment how a closely fought ballgame can suddenly, inextricably break wide open in what biblical scholars/baseball fans have for generations cited as the “BigInning.”

Just such a game took place on Wednesday between two heretofore hapless AL teams; the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers.

The cellar-dwelling AL West Rangers battled the AL Central 4th place Tigers for five innings with the Tigers holding a narrow 7-6 lead, although Ranger pitchers were being pounded hither and fore with no one pitcher lasting more than 2 1/3 innings through the entire game.

For the Tigers, the dirt-ball specialist, veteran lefthander Kenny “the Gambler” Rogers lasted 3 1/3 innings giving up 6 runs on 9 hits, walking 3 and striking out none.

But lo, the Tigers bullpen allowed but two Rangers to reach base over the last 5 1/3 innings, single base hits in the seventh and eighth innings, while the Detroit offense proceeded to produce utter chaos to the tune of 11 runs off of the two Rangers relief pitchers of the sixth inning; 5 runs on 3 hits off of reliever Jamey Wright and 6 runs on 6 hits off of Wes Littleton. Wright fell victim to a 3 run clout by dh Miguel Cabrera amidst the onslaught.

For good measure, the Tigers added a 19th run in the seventh inning off of Rangers reliever Joaquin Benoit who had difficulty finding the plate, issuing the run on four bases-on-balls.

For more on the Tigers’ sixth inning explosion, click here.

The win went to Tigers’ lefthanded reliever Clay Rapada who held the Rangers at bay in relief of Rogers. The loss was charged to Rangers’ reliever Frank Francisco who coughed up the Tigers’ lead 7th run on a bases loaded walk in the fourth inning.

This was not the only citing of The BigInning in April. Baseball Library cites that nine seasons ago, on April 23, 1999, the St. Louis Cardinals, down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers after two innings, exploded for for 11 runs in the third inning to go on to defeat the Dodgers by a 12-5 score at Dodger Stadium.

According to Baseball Library, quite a few MLB records were set in this game;

3B Fernando Tatis set a major league record by hitting 2 grand slams in a single inning. His 2 homers came in St. Louis’ 11-run 3rd inning. He also sets a record with 8 RBIs in the inning‚ while LA P Chan Ho Park becomes the 1st pitcher this century-and only the 2nd ever-to surrender 2 grand slams in a single frame. Bill Phillips of the Pirates did so in 1890. Park became the 36th major-leaguer to serve up two slams to the same player in his career.

Note: According to the Baseball Almanac, the name of the Pittsburgh team in 1890 was the Alleghenys.

Tatis, by the way, went on to have his only career season in 1999 with 34 HRs, 107 RBIs and a .298 BA, although he played with 4 teams over his 8 season career.

Finally, Baseball Library notes that on April 13, 2003, 5 years ago, the Phillies‚ who were locked in a scoreless tie with the Cincinnati Reds after three innings, exploded to score all 13 of their runs in the 4th inning to trounce the Reds‚ 13-1. Remarkably, there was only one homer in the inning, centerfielder Ricky Ledee’s 2 out, 3 run shot off of reliever Scott Sullivan.