# Highest-Scoring MLB Game? Largets Margain of Victory in a MLB Game? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584 "2004-08-26T12:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/1 "2004-08-26T12:53:31Z")
I tried to google the answers to these questioins and had no luck. What is the highest number of runs scored **by both teams** in a Major League Baseball game? ISTR a Cubs-Phillies game from the mid-70’s where the Cubs won 24-22 or something. What is the highest margain of victory in a MLB game? The Anaheim Angels [beat](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-alrdp&prov=ap&type=lgns) the Kansas City Royals last night 21-6, but surely that can’t be the record (or the press would have been all over it). Finally, what is the highest number of runs scored **by one team** in a Major League Baseball game? TIA ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/2 "2004-08-26T13:36:57Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What is the highest number of runs scored **by both teams** in a Major League Baseball game? ISTR a Cubs-Phillies game from the mid-70’s where the Cubs won 24-22 or something. You’re thinking of the game on May 17, 1979 when the Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22. However, the **same two teams** played a 26-23 game (Cubs winning) on August 25, 1922 which is the record. > [@](#): > > What is the highest margain of victory in a MLB game? Red Sox 29, St. Louis Browns 4; June 8, 1950. > [@](#): > > Finally, what is the highest number of runs scored **by one team** in a Major League Baseball game? Same as above, tied by White Sox vs. Kansas City A’s in 1955. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/3 "2004-08-26T13:57:00Z")
Wow, **Freddy**. Thanks. Are you, like, an MLB statistician IRL? ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/4 "2004-08-26T15:10:21Z")
Just for grins, since you were curious enough to ask about the games, you might want more info about how one of those games came to be. Retrosheet is your friend. High scoring Philly 23 - Chicago 22 [Box Score](http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B05170CHN1979.htm) Unfortunately, they don’t have the box score from 1922 yet. Retrosheet is probably still working on recompiling that one (along with thousands of other old games). The other games are still a few years beyond Retrosheet’s capabilities, but they are inching closer to the 50’s. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/5 "2004-08-26T16:53:28Z")
I have access to a pdf of the boxscore of the 1922 game. The Cubs scored 1 in the first, 10 in the second, 14 in the fourth and another run in the sixth. The Phillies scored 3 in the second, 2 in the third, 1 in the fourth, 3 in the fifth, 8 in the eighth, and 6 in the ninth. The Cubs had 25 hits, the Phillies had 26. There were 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs hit in the game. Cubs pitchers walked 16. The Phillies walked only 5. The Phillies used only two pitchers. The Cubs made 5 errors, the Phillies made 4 errors. The Phillies were at the end of a five game losing streak and had given up double figure runs three straight times. Phillies pitchers gave up 920 runs in the 1922 season. The next day, the Phillies beat the Cubs 3-0. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/6 "2004-08-26T19:39:43Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Are you, like, an MLB statistician IRL? No, just a geek with too much time and useless knowledge. > [@BobT](#): > > The Cubs scored 1 in the first, 10 in the second, 14 in the fourth and another run in the sixth. > > The Phillies scored 3 in the second, 2 in the third, 1 in the fourth, 3 in the fifth, 8 in the eighth, and 6 in the ninth. The amazing thing about that, for those who haven’t done the arithmetic, is that the Cubs led 26-9 after seven innings. The Phillies then scored 14 runs and had the bases loaded when the Cubs finally retired the side in the 9th inning. In other words, the Cubs came within an extra-base hit of blowing a 17-run lead. That would have been so Cub. Before anybody asks, the record for the largest deficit ever overcome in a major league game is 12. It has been done more than once. In the aforementioned 23-22 game, the Cubs recovered from a 21-9 deficit to pull into a 22-22 tie, which would have tied said record, but then they lost the game in the tenth inning anyway. That was also very Cub. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/7 "2004-08-26T21:57:17Z")
Under the scoring rules of the day, the starting pitcher didn’t have to go 5 innings to qualify for a win. So Cubs starter Tony Kaufmann gave up 6 runs and 9 hits in four IP along with 3 BB and zero Ks and got the win. The Phillies stranded 16 runners during the game. The game took 3:01 to play which in 1922 was an extremely long game, but would be average about now. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/highest-scoring-mlb-game-largets-margain-of-victory-in-a-mlb-game/261584/8 "2004-08-26T22:25:31Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > You’re thinking of the game on May 17, 1979 when the Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22. However, the **same two teams** played a 26-23 game (Cubs winning) on August 25, 1922 which is the record. Which makes the Phillies the only team with a .500 record in games where they’ve scored 23 runs. Seems appropriate, somehow.