INSTANT ANALYST
Remember those lame excuses for low-scoring games early in the season: The pitchers are ahead of the hitters; nobody likes to hit in cold weather; the fifth starters aren't being used yet? Well, forget all of them. Through Sunday the average number of runs scored in a game this season was 9.17-the highest average on April 18 of any season since 1979. And the 29 games thus far this season in which one team had scored at least 10 runs was the most in the last 25 years. Here is a look back at April 18 offensive stats since the 1969 season.
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YEAR | GAMES | RUNS | AVG. | 10+RUNS |
1969 | 109 | 919 | 8.43 | 15 |
1970 | 120 | 1,035 | 8.63 | 14 |
1971 | 137 | 1,025 | 7.48 | 10 |
1972 | 40 | 253 | 6.33 | 3 |
1973 | 121 | 970 | 8.02 | 14 |
1974 | 131 | 1,202 | 9.18 | 14 |
1975 | 102 | 845 | 8.28 | 10 |
1976 | 90 | 806 | 8.96 | 15 |
1977 | 124 | 1,077 | 8.69 | 12 |
1978 | 133 | 1,149 | 8.64 | 17 |
1979 | 142 | 1,335 | 9.40 | 28 |
1980 | 100 | 877 | 8.77 | 13 |
1981 | 95 | 698 | 7.35 | 5 |
1982 | 131 | 1,124 | 8.58 | 16 |
1983 | 143 | 1,299 | 9.08 | 21 |
1984 | 152 | 1,273 | 8.39 | 13 |
1985 | 107 | 864 | 8.07 | 10 |
1986 | 119 | 1,006 | 8.45 | 11 |
1987 | 139 | 1,266 | 9.11 | 20 |
1988 | 156 | 1,334 | 8.55 | 21 |
1989 | 167 | 1,448 | 8.67 | 18 |
1990 | 111 | 946 | 8.52 | 14 |
1991 | 118 | 967 | 8.19 | 13 |
1992 | 146 | 1,210 | 8.29 | 17 |
1993 | 162 | 1,485 | 9.17 | 29 |