The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every May 5 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

MAY 5 · 1,236 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2025

On this date in 1991, Seattle beat the Yankees 5–4 in 15 innings while being out-hit 18 to 15. It took 5 hours and 31 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,236 major-league games played on May 5, from 1871 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1871-05-05	BS1 at WS3	20–18	9.0
1991-05-05	The Yankees at Seattle	4–5	15.7	331 min
1874-05-05	BL1 at BR2	3–24	9.0	by 21
1996-05-05	Cleveland at Seattle	2–0	9.0	56,883 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

2000-05-05	Cleveland at Toronto	10–11	8.8	hits 20-13
2014-05-05	Kansas City at San Diego	5–6	11.7	hits 16-9
1909-05-05	Detroit at the St. Louis Browns	3–1	10.0	hits 5-11

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

1902-05-05	Philadelphia at the New York Giants	0–1	8.5	000000000 / 01000000x
1903-05-05	St. Louis at Cincinnati	1–4	8.5	000000001 / 02000002x
1904-05-05	The Philadelphia Athletics at the Boston Red Sox	0–3	8.5	000000000 / 00000120x

By the decades

1870s 12 · 1880s 59 · 1890s 50 · 1900s 55 · 1910s 53 · 1920s 64 · 1930s 63 · 1940s 67 · 1950s 63 · 1960s 83 · 1970s 112 · 1980s 95 · 1990s 127 · 2000s 129 · 2010s 139 · 2020s 65

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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)