Today in Baseball History: April 18th

2007 On April 18, 2007, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitches the first no-hitter in the American League in five years. Lefty Buehrle defeats the Rangers, 6-0, at Comiskey Park, facing the minimum 27 batters and allowing just one walk.

2007 On April 18, 2007, David Wright singles against the Florida Marlins to extend his hitting streak to 25 games, the longest in New York Mets" history. Wright"s streak stretches back to the end of the 2006 season, and breaks the previous franchise mark held jointly by Hubie Brooks (1984) and Mike Piazza (1999).

1987 On April 18, 1987, Mike Schmidt hits his 500th career home run. Schmidt connects against Don Robinson of the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the 14th player in history to reach the milestone. Schmidt's home run helps the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-6 victory.

1981 On April 18, 1981, Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds notches the 3,000th strikeout of his Hall of Fame career. Seaver fans Keith Hernandez of the St. Louis Cardinals, joining Bob Gibson, Walter Johnson, Gaylord Perry, and Nolan Ryan as members of the exclusive pitching club.

1981 On April 18, 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings start the longest game in professional baseball history. The game is suspended at 4:07 AM the next day, and will be resumed in June. The 33-inning contest will last a total of eight hours and 25 minutes.

1966 On April 18, 1966, the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers play the first regular season game on "Astroturf." The Dodgers defeat the Astros, 6-3, on the artificial turf of the Astrodome. Don Sutton earns his first major league victory while fellow Hall of Famer Robin Roberts takes the loss.

1964 On April 18, 1964, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers strikes out the side on nine pitches, becoming the first pitcher in major league history to achieve the feat twice. In spite of this third-inning dominance against the Cincinnati Reds, Koufax loses the game, 3-0.

1951 On April 18, 1951, future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle makes his major league debut for the New York Yankees. Mantle picks up one hit in two official at-bats, as the Yankees defeat the rival Boston Red Sox, 6-1, behind the pitching of Eddie Lopat.

1946 On April 18, 1946, Jackie Robinson makes his minor league debut for the Montreal Royals, the International League affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In becoming the first black to play Organized Baseball in the 20th century, Robinson bangs out a home run and three singles on his way to winning the league batting championship.

1945 On April 18, 1945, one-armed outfielder Pete Gray makes his debut for the St. Louis Browns. Gray, one of many players recruited to perform during World War II, singles once in four at-bats. He will hit .218 in 234 at-bats in his only major league season.

1923 On April 18, 1923, an overflow crowd of 74,200 attends the first game in the history of Yankee Stadium. Appropriately enough, Babe Ruth hits a three-run homer in the "House That Ruth Built," highlighting the New York Yankees' 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

1899 On April 18, 1899, 26-year old John McGraw makes his managerial debut with the Baltimore Orioles of the National League, guiding the team to a 5-3 victory over the New York Giants. McGraw also plays third base for the club, not retiring as a player until several years later.