The Sept. 21 ledger delivers three interesting Atlanta Braves notes: a milestone for Greg Maddux, a benchmark from Warren Spahn’s Milwaukee years, and one of the strangest bench-usage games the club has ever played.
Maddux’s 15-Win Streak Hits History
On Sept. 21, 2003, Greg Maddux became the first pitcher to win 15 games in 16 straight seasons, a standard he had shared with Cy Young until that day. He worked five scoreless in an 8–0 win to secure the mark.
Spahn’s 20th Win in ’59
On Sept. 21, 1959, Warren Spahn logged his 20th win as the Milwaukee Braves beat the Pirates 8–6 at Forbes Field, continuing one of the most consistent late-career runs of any left-hander.
The 1993 Pinch-Hit Carousel
Also on this date, the Braves and Expos combined to use 13 pinch-hitters — with Atlanta deploying nine, an NL record for a nine-inning game — in an 18–5 Braves win at Olympic Stadium.
Why It Still Resonates
Maddux’s run underscores year-over-year excellence; Spahn’s mark points to the franchise’s left-handed lineage; and the 1993 carousel is the tactical outlier fans cite whenever benches grow and matchups rule September.
