Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
After winning nine straight, the Phillies have now dropped two in a row. Aaron Nola pitched well again but received very little offensive support as the Phillies fell 4-1.
The Eagles had their only open practice last night and seemed to come out of it unscathed. I still have PTSD from Stewart Bradley.
August 26 has seen a lone bright spot for the A’s, a ridiculous comeback, and some playoff hockey.
Bullet Joe Gets it Done
On this day in 1916, the Philadelphia Athletics were mired in a 117-loss season, posting a .235 winning percentage that remains the worst in modern MLB history.
But on this Saturday afternoon, the roughly 2,500 fans who showed up at Shibe Park got something special—and a little bit of history.
The A’s beat Cleveland 5-0. Wally Schang collected three hits, while Stuffy McInnis drove in two runs. And yes, those are both real names.
But the star of the afternoon was Bullet Joe Bush.
Bush walked the first batter of the game, but after that, he didn’t allow another Cleveland player to reach base. He also helped himself at the plate, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
It was the third no-hitter in A’s history and gave the few fans who showed up that afternoon something they’ll never forget.
For one day, at least, there was something to celebrate for the A’s
Abreu is Grand, Again
On this day in 2005, Chase Utley hit two home runs and Bobby Abreu hit his third grand slam of the season as the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks 11-3.
Trivia – Who holds the Phillies single season record for grand slams? (Answer below)
A Sign of Things to Come
On this day in 2008, the Mets got to Jamie Moyer early, tagging him for six earned runs in three innings as New York built a 7-0 lead.
The Phillies chipped away, thanks in part to home runs from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard.
Chris Coste entered in the bottom of the eighth as a pinch-hitter for Greg Dobbs, who ironically set the Phillies’ single-season record for pinch hits that season.
Coste ended up getting four at-bats and collected four hits, including the game-winning walk-off hit that scored Shane Victorino in the bottom of the 13th.
The Phillies won 8-7, temporarily moving into first place in the NL East.
The two teams would battle back and forth for the division throughout the summer before the Phillies finally took control for good on September 20.
Flyers Even it Up
On this day in 2020, Kevin Hayes scored twice and Sean Couturier added another goal in the first period against the Islanders.
The Islanders chipped away at the lead, eventually forcing overtime.
Phil Myers then played hero, scoring off a Sean Couturier assist to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime victory.
The win evened the Flyers’ second-round playoff series at one game apiece in the bubble in Toronto.
Longball Month
On this day in 2023, the Phillies beat the Cardinals 12-1. Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott and Nick Castellanos all homered, while Zack Wheeler struck out 10.
The three home runs pushed the Phillies’ August total to 48, breaking the previous franchise record of 46, set in September 2019.
And they weren’t done.
The Phillies hit 11 more home runs before the month was over, finishing August with 59—the most home runs the team had ever hit in a single month.
Trivia Answer – Vince DiMaggio hit four grand slams for the Phillies in 1945.
Check back tomorrow for another edition of This Day in Philly Sports History
For more Philly Sports History, tune in every weekday to This Day in Philly Sports History
Stop by the improved Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame YouTube page for more Philly Sports content. Be sure to subscribe.
