What Happened in Sports: May 17, 2022

2021: New York Yankees SP Gerrit Cole broke Corbin Burnes‘ record set just a few days earlier for the most consecutive strikeouts (58) without a walk in MLB history. Cole’s record ended at 62 which remains the MLB record

2015: Houston Rockets completed a 3-1 series comeback over the Los Angeles Clippers with 3 straight victories capped off with a Game 7 victory to advance to the WCF for the 1st time in 18 years as the 9th NBA team to ever pull off a 3-1 Playoff series comeback

1998: New York Yankees SP David Wells pitched the 13th Perfect Game in MLB history, defeating the Minnesota Twins 4-0

1993: Chicago Bulls SG Michael Jordan drained another buzzer-beating GW-FG in Cleveland to cap off Chicago’s Game 4 win to sweep the Cavaliers in the ECSF en route to their 3rd consecutive NBA Championship

1993: New York Knicks HC Pat Riley was named Coach of the Year in the closest balloting ever (beat out Houston Rockets HC Rudy Tomjanovich by a single vote) to become the 1st HC to win the award 2x in NBA history 

1988: Utah Jazz PG John Stockton tied Magic Johnson‘s playoff record with 24 assists in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Nobody has since tied or surpassed the record

1979: Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs in what was the 2nd-highest scoring game in MLB history (45 runs: 23-22)

1978: Los Angeles Dodgers OF Lee Lacy hit his 3rd consecutive pinch-hit HR in a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, setting a new MLB record

1973: California Angels OF Bobby Valentine scaled the outfield wall in an attempt to rob a HR, but his spikes got stuck and he suffered a career-threatening broken leg

1970: Atlanta Braves OF Hank Aaron became the 1st player to record both 3,000 career Hits & 500 HR in MLB history. There are 6 others that have since joined the exclusive club: Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera