Don Sutton started his 21st Major League season with 295 career victories. On June 18, the Angels were battling for first place, a game and a half behind the Texas Rangers. Don Sutton took the mound in Anaheim Stadium against those same Rangers in hopes of cutting that deficit to a mere half game.
In the first inning, the Angels scored three runs on three singles and a pair of walks. Ruppert Jones tacked on another run with a solo home run in the fifth.
In the seventh inning, Sutton gave up a solo home run to Pete Incaviglia. But Brian Downing got the run back with a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the frame.
Sutton took the mound in the ninth with a 5-1 lead, and a chance to make history. Scott Fletcher led off with a fly ball to center. Oddibe McDowell followed with a fly ball out as well. Sutton then struck out Gary Ward for the final out of the game – a three-hit complete game that was his ticket to Cooperstown .
Sutton would go on to win 15 games in ‘86, with a very respectable 3.74 ERA, as the Angels won their third divisional title. Sutton finished his career with 324 total wins (28 as an Angel), which was good enough for 12th place on the all-time list. He was enshrined at Cooperstown in 1998.
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ReplyDeleteLet's see if I can do this right this time ... :) I got the date wrong last time. Our company were guests of the March of Dimes and so we went to see the Angels on June 18, 1986. They asked all of the March of Dimes people to walk around the field on the warning track and that was kind of neat. I got to push the President of our company's nephew, who was a 12 year old boy with Spinabifida and in a wheelchair. As we approached the BullPen, Don Sutton was warming up and Mattm being a fanatic fan was well aware of what that night was to the Angels and Don Sutton. So Matt yells out, "There's Don Sutton!" Don looked over and saw Matt in his wheelchair and me pushing him and so Don walked over to us, and introducted himself "Hi I'm Don Sutton" and Matt says, "tonight your are going for #300?" and Don replied in the positive. Then he asked for a pen which I had and he signed the ball he was using to warm up with, and asked Matt what his name was and Matt said, "Matt" So Don wrote "To Matt, Tonight will be #300. Don Sutton 6/18/86". WE thanked Don and let him get back to warming up and as we continued around the park, there was Matt holding up his ball with the biggest grin you would ever want to see. When Don threw that last pitch and won the game Matt held up that ball "Look what I got!" and the whole Sandak group clapped and laughed, he was so proud of that ball. I heard from his StepDad that he went to bed with that ball that night. Don,I don't know if you remember that incident on such a great and awesome day in your life, but thank you for making a 12 year old boy. be filled with joy and excitement because of signing that ball for him. He Passed away a couple of years later. Bless you and thanks again. James Banfield
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