It came on Wednesday, September 3, 1986. The Astros won a game suspended from Tuesday, when the Astros and Cubs had gone 14 innings and left the pre-lights Wrigley Field with the score tied 4-4. Maddux had been called up on September 1st after going 10-1 with a 3.02 era in Iowa.
Cub Manager Gene Michael said: “If we had known Maddux was going to be 10-1, chances are he’d have been up earlier and pitching against the Mets. Maybe then they wouldn’t be so far ahead.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Astros won the game 8-7 on former Cub Billy Hatcher’s homer off Greg Maddux in the 18th inning. The total of 53 players used in the game set a major-league record, and so did the 17 pitchers used.
Afterward, Gene Michael said: “He made one mistake, but I like what I see in him. I want to see what he can do as a starter and we’ll probably start him either Sunday or soon after that. I have to talk to (pitching coach) Billy Connors.”
