MLB History: The Longest Baseball Game Ever

The fact that time never runs out is one of the many wonderful things about baseball. A comeback is always possible in baseball. Until you get the 27th out, or occasionally much more, the game is not over. Games going into extra innings are common in Major League Baseball (MLB), of course.

However, some games in MLB history have gone above and beyond. Every now and again, two teams may play each other in a game that lasts longer than it should, sometimes even going into 20 innings.

MLB History: The Longest Baseball Game Ever

May 1, 1920: Brooklyn Robins 1, Boston Braves 1

This game seems to be very simple at first glance. Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore, two pitchers who both had ERAs below 1.00 at the time, began their duel.

Ivy Olson’s single in the fifth inning gave Brooklyn the lead after Ernie Krueger had been hit by a pitch. However, the Braves answered in the sixth when Walton Cruise tripled and then scored on a single by Tony Boeckel. Both teams did not score again on that particular day after that.

Ivy Olson, who batted first for Brooklyn, hit an RBI single over Hall of Fame shortstop Rabbit Maranville’s head in the fifth inning to score the team’s only run. In the bottom of the sixth, Tony Boeckel of Boston scored the equalizing run with a single to center. At Braves Field, the teams swapped zeros for 20 innings until night fell.

The game was halted due to darkness after 26 innings. Back then, there were no lights on the fields, so when players, umpires, and spectators could no longer see, games would frequently be called or postponed. The game finished with a 1-1 tie between the Robins and Braves. It just took three hours and fifty minutes to complete the episode.

Length: 26 innings 

The contest lasted a whopping 26 innings in all. The only other times either side came close to scoring over the vast bulk of a seemingly interminable string of innings were when the Braves left runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth and the 15th innings and the Robins did it in the top of the 17th and the 22nd.

Pitches: 186 

Pitching the whole game were Oeschger and Cadore. For a total of 186 batters faced, Cadore faced 96 and Oeschger 90.

 

 

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