The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every April 20 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

APRIL 20 · 1,134 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1986, Pittsburgh beat the Cubs 10–8 in 17 innings while being out-hit 17 to 16. It took 6 hours and 9 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,134 major-league games played on April 20, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1895-04-20	Philadelphia at BLN	4–23
1986-04-20	Pittsburgh at the Cubs	10–8	17.0	369 min
2025-04-20	Cincinnati at Baltimore	24–2	9.0	by 22
1948-04-20	The St. Louis Browns at Cleveland	0–4	8.5	73,163 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

2005-04-20	Arizona at San Francisco	2–1	9.0	hits 3-11
1898-04-20	Brooklyn at WSN	6–8	9.0	hits 16-9
1923-04-20	The Washington Senators at the Philadelphia Athletics	2–6	8.5	hits 11-4

The Mirror Game — a line score this date shares with another day

1902-04-20	The Cubs at Cincinnati	1–2	8.5	000001000 / 00010010x
1903-04-20	Philadelphia at the Boston Braves	3–4	8.5	200001000 / 00000301x
1905-04-20	The Boston Red Sox at the Washington Senators	1–3	8.5	000100000 / 10200000x

By the decades

1870s 1 · 1880s 21 · 1890s 31 · 1900s 41 · 1910s 56 · 1920s 61 · 1930s 66 · 1940s 58 · 1950s 60 · 1960s 75 · 1970s 95 · 1980s 112 · 1990s 114 · 2000s 129 · 2010s 144 · 2020s 70

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THE CATBIRD SEAT is set by the Committee on Playing Rules of Tearing Up the Pea Patch, a Macguffin Co. game, Commissioner F. McCoy presiding. Almanac editions are compiled from the record by the Committee’s engine and read by no one before you; a surprising fact in them is a lead, not a verdict. The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at www.retrosheet.org. Wire service (RSS)