The Brewers’ 22-0 rout of the Mariners on Tuesday at American Family Field was quite the shellacking.
Milwaukee tied a franchise record for runs in the lopsided win, which is tied for the largest shutout win by margin of victory in the Modern Era (since 1900). It doesn’t come all that close to the largest shutout win in MLB history, though: That was a 28-0 stomping of the Philadelphia Quakers (now the Phillies) by the Providence Grays way back in 1883.
As far as margin of victory in any game, the 1882 Chicago White Stockings hold the record with a 35-4 romp over the Cleveland Blues, while the Rangers beat the Orioles 30-3 in Game 1 of a doubleheader in 2007 to claim the Modern Era mark.
Here are the largest margins of victory in both the Modern Era and all time, including in shutouts.
Largest margins of victory, Modern Era (since 1900)
1. Rangers: 27 runs
Aug. 22, 2007 (Game 1 of DH) at Orioles
Score: 30-3
Things didn’t get out of hand until the Rangers’ nine-run sixth blew open what had been a 5-3 game. Texas slammed six homers, including two apiece for its No. 8 and 9 hitters (Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez).
2. Red Sox: 25 runs
June 8, 1950, vs. St. Louis Browns (now Orioles)
Score: 29-4
The Red Sox led 20-3 by the end of the fourth inning and kept adding on in a rout of the Browns at Fenway Park. Three Boston players combined to slug seven home runs: Bobby Doerr had three (he finished with eight RBIs), and Ted Williams and Walt Dropo had two apiece.
3-T. Cleveland: 24 runs
July 7, 1923 (Game 1 of DH) vs. Red Sox
Score: 27-3
This one was a fairly conventional rout for a while, with Cleveland up 11-2 through five and a half innings before putting up THIRTEEN runs in the bottom of the sixth. Hall of Famers Tris Speaker and Joe Sewell each had three of the hosts’ 24 hits, which, impressively, did not include a single home run. Cleveland scored in every inning in the lopsided win.
3-T. Angels: 24 runs
June 24, 2023, at Rockies
Score: 25-1
A 13-run third inning (which began with back-to-back-to-back home runs) and an eight-run fourth provided most of the offense for the Angels in their rout of the Rockies at Coors Field. Two players -- Hunter Renfroe and Mickey Moniak -- each went 5-for-5, while David Fletcher had four hits and six RBIs out of the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
5-T. White Sox: 23 runs
April 23, 1955, at Kansas City Athletics
Score: 29-6
Five White Sox batters combined to slug seven home runs as Chicago took it to the A’s on the road, scoring multiple runs in seven half-innings. Even pitcher Jack Harshman got in on the action, going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer -- one of his 21 career dingers in the big leagues.
5-T. Blue Jays: 23 runs
July 22, 2022, at Red Sox
Score: 28-5
Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 6-for-7 with five RBIs in Toronto’s rout at Fenway Park, while leadoff man Raimel Tapia and catcher Danny Jansen drove in six runs each. Seven Blue Jays had at least three hits in the contest, tying a Major League single-game record.
5-T. Cleveland: 23 runs
Aug. 12, 1948 (Game 2), at St. Louis Browns (now Orioles)
Score: 26-3
Talk about spreading the wealth: Fourteen Cleveland players recorded at least one hit, including starting pitcher Gene Bearden, who was 4-for-6 with a three-run homer. Bearden’s dinger came in a nine-run first inning that set the tone, and Hall of Famer Bob Feller pitched the final two frames in a rare relief appearance.
5-T. Reds: 23 runs
June 4, 1911, vs. Boston Rustlers (now Braves)
Score: 26-3
Managed by Hall of Fame skipper Clark Griffith, the namesake of Washington’s Griffith Stadium, the Reds struck for seven runs in the first and chased Boston starter Cecil Ferguson before recording an out. Cincinnati added on throughout, with a nine-spot in the bottom of the eighth turning the game into a blowout of historic proportions.
5-T. Yankees: 23 runs
May 24, 1936, at Philadelphia Athletics
Score: 25-2
Only 13 players in AL/NL history have hit two grand slams in one game, and Yankees second baseman Tony Lazzeri became part of that club in this rout in Philadelphia. Lazzeri hit a grand slam to right field in the second inning and slugged another slam to left field in the fifth before homering again in the seventh. He drove in 11 runs, tied for the third most in a game since RBIs became an official stat in 1920.
Largest margins of victory all time
1. Chicago White Stockings (now Cubs): 31 runs
July 24, 1882, vs. Cleveland Blues
Score: 35-4
2. Chicago Colts (now Cubs): 29 runs
June 29, 1897, vs. Louisville Colonels
Score: 36-7
3-T. Providence Grays: 28 runs
Aug. 21, 1883, vs. Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies)
Score: 28-0
3-T. New York Giants: 28 runs
June 15, 1887, vs. Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies)
Score: 29-1
5-T. Rangers: 27 runs
Aug. 22, 2007 (Game 1 of DH) at Orioles
Score: 30-3
5-T. Milwaukee Brewers (American Association): 27 runs
Sept. 10, 1891, vs. Washington Statesmen
Score: 30-3
Largest shutout victories, Modern Era (since 1900)
1-T. Brewers: 22 runs
Aug. 18, 2026, vs. Mariners
It was already a 13-0 game through seven innings when Mariners infielder Leo Rivas took the mound and allowed nine more Milwaukee runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Brewers then turned to their own position-player pitcher, catcher Gary Sánchez, who pitched a scoreless ninth to close things out.
1-T. Cleveland: 22 runs
Aug. 31, 2004, at Yankees
Jake Westbrook was dominant for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium with seven scoreless innings, backing up an explosive offensive performance. Omar Vizquel led the way with a 6-for-7 day at the plate, and Jody Gerut and Victor Martinez each padded the lead with three-run homers in the ninth.
1-T. Pirates: 22 runs
Sept. 16, 1975, at Cubs
It’s hard to envision a more productive offensive day than Pirates second baseman Rennie Stennett had at Wrigley Field. Leading off for Pittsburgh, Stennett became the only player in the Modern Era to go 7-for-7 in a nine-inning game. He had four singles, two doubles and a triple and scored five runs.
4-T. Padres: 21 runs
May 10, 2025, at Rockies
Complete games are rare nowadays, but San Diego’s Stephen Kolek managed to throw a five-hit shutout at notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field. Rockies starter Bradley Blalock, meanwhile, was tagged for 13 hits and 12 runs in 3 2/3 innings as the Padres launched five homers on the night, plating 19 of their runs in the first five innings.
4-T. Cubs: 21 runs
April 23, 2022, vs. Pirates
The Cubs scored their first six runs of this blowout win without a single extra-base hit, and they hit only one home run: a three-run blast by Alfonso Rivas III to cap an eight-run second. Chicago kept piling on as Kyle Hendricks and two relievers combined on a three-run shutout at Wrigley Field.
4-T. Yankees: 21 runs
Aug. 13, 1939 (Game 2) at Philadelphia Athletics
This game was called after eight innings to adhere to Philadelphia’s 7 p.m. Sunday curfew, which might have prevented the Yankees from racking up even more runs. Joe DiMaggio -- who went on to win the 1939 AL MVP Award -- hit two homers for New York, and Red Ruffing pitched all eight innings while allowing only three hits.
4-T. Tigers: 21 runs
Sept. 15, 1901, vs. Cleveland (8 inn.)
Detroit managed to score 21 runs in only an hour and 45 minutes before the game was called after 7 1/2 innings, recording 24 hits against Cleveland pitcher Jack Bracken. Tigers hurler Ed Siever, meanwhile, kept the visitors off the board while recording a single and a double at the plate.
Largest shutout victories all time
1. Providence Grays: 28 runs
Aug. 21, 1883, vs. Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies)
2-T. New York Giants: 24 runs
May 27, 1885, vs. Buffalo Bisons
2-T. Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies): 24 runs
June 28, 1887 at Indianapolis Hoosiers
4. Cincinnati Red Stockings: 23 runs
July 6, 1883, vs. Baltimore Orioles (American Association)
5-T. Brewers: 22 runs
Aug. 18, 2026, vs. Mariners
5-T. Cleveland: 22 runs
Aug. 31, 2004, at Yankees
5-T. Pirates: 22 runs
Sept. 16, 1975, at Cubs