The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every September 18 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

SEPTEMBER 18 · 1,384 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2025

On this date in 2012, Baltimore beat Seattle 4–2 in 18 innings while being out-hit 12 to 10. It took 5 hours and 44 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,384 major-league games played on September 18, from 1871 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

2006-09-18	San Francisco at Colorado	8–20	8.5
2012-09-18	Baltimore at Seattle	4–2	18.0	344 min
1915-09-18	The Boston Braves at St. Louis	20–1	9.0	by 19
1949-09-18	Cleveland at the Yankees	3–7	8.5	64,549 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1934-09-18	The Boston Red Sox at the St. Louis Browns	2–1	10.0	hits 1-10
1981-09-18	Pittsburgh at Philadelphia	7–6	9.0	hits 7-15
1926-09-18	The Washington Senators at Detroit	5–6	8.7	hits 14-7

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

1899-09-18	Cincinnati at BLN	2–3	8.7	200000000 / 000000021
1901-09-18	Philadelphia at Pittsburgh	1–5	8.5	000000001 / 02100002x
1902-09-18	The Cubs at Cincinnati	0–2	8.5	000000000 / 00000011x

By the decades

1870s 8 · 1880s 59 · 1890s 51 · 1900s 73 · 1910s 85 · 1920s 89 · 1930s 91 · 1940s 69 · 1950s 55 · 1960s 91 · 1970s 113 · 1980s 120 · 1990s 124 · 2000s 139 · 2010s 133 · 2020s 84

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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)