No-hitter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Major League Baseball pitchers who have completed this feat, see List of Major League Baseball no-hitters.

Nolan Ryan holds the record for no-hitters in the major leagues with seven.

In baseball, a no-hitter (also known as a no-hit game and colloquially as a no-no) is a game in which a team was not able to record a single hit through conventional means. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter". In most cases, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game; one thrown by two or more pitchers is a combined no-hitter.

A no-hitter is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff—only 314 have been thrown in MLB history since 1876, an average of about two per year. The most recent major league no-hitter by a single pitcher was thrown on August 14, 2021, by Tyler Gilbert of the Arizona Diamondbacks against the San Diego Padres. The most recent combined no-hitter was thrown on September 11, 2021, by Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers against the Cleveland Indians.[1] The MLB season with the most no-hit games is the ongoing 2021 season, in which nine no-hitters have been pitched.[2]

It is possible to reach base without a hit, most commonly by a walk, error, or being hit by a pitch. Other possibilities include the batter reaching first after an uncaught third strike, catcher's interference or fielder's choice. A no-hitter in which no batters reach base at all is a perfect game, a much rarer feat. Because batters can reach base by means other than a hit, a pitcher can throw a no-hitter (though not a perfect game) and still give up runs, and even lose the game, although this is extremely uncommon, and most no-hitters are also shutouts. One or more runs were given up in 25 recorded no-hitters in MLB history, most recently by Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 3–1 win against the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 2011. On two occasions, a team has thrown a nine-inning no-hitter and still lost the game. It is theoretically possible for opposing pitchers to throw no-hitters in the same game, although this has never happened in the major leagues. Two pitchers, Fred Toney and Hippo Vaughn, completed nine innings of a game on May 2, 1917, without either giving up a hit or a run; Vaughn gave up two hits and a run in the 10th inning, losing the game to Toney, who completed the extra-inning no-hitter.

MLB no-hitters[]

See also: List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Definition[]

A no-hitter is defined by MLB: "An official no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings."[3] This 1991 definition by MLB's Committee for Statistical Accuracy caused previously recognized no-hitters of fewer than nine innings or where the first hit had been allowed in extra innings to be stricken from the official record books. Games lost by the visiting team in 8+1⁄2 innings but without allowing any hits do not qualify as no-hitters, as the visiting team has only pitched eight innings.[4][5]

Frequency[]

MLB has recognized 314 no-hitters thrown since 1876, 23 of which were perfect games. Two no-hitters have been thrown on the same day twice: Ted Breitenstein and Jim Hughes on April 22, 1898; and Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela on June 29, 1990.

Nine no-hitters were thrown in the 2021 season. The previous record was eight, set in 1884. The previous modern era record (since 1901) was seven, accomplished in 1990, 1991, 2012, and 2015.

The longest period between two no-hitters in the modern era is three years and 44 days, between Bobby Burke on August 8, 1931, and Paul "Daffy" Dean on September 21, 1934. There was a drought of three years and 11 months without a no-hitter after the first National League no-hitter on July 15, 1876, pitched by George Bradley. The most recent year without any no-hitters is 2005.

The greatest span of games without a no-hitter in the major leagues is 6,364, between Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Aníbal Sánchez's no-hitter on September 6, 2006 for the Florida Marlins. The previous record was a 4,015-game streak without a no-hitter from September 30, 1984, to September 19, 1986.

Individual[]

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax threw four no-hitters, including one perfect game, during his MLB career.

The pitcher who holds the record for the most no-hitters is Nolan Ryan, who threw seven in his 27-year career. His first two came exactly two months apart with the California Angels: the first on May 15, 1973, and the second on July 15. He had two more with the Angels on September 28, 1974, and June 1, 1975. Ryan's fifth no-hitter with the Houston Astros on September 26, 1981, broke Sandy Koufax's previous record. His sixth and seventh no-hitters came with the Texas Rangers on June 1, 1990, and May 1, 1991. When he tossed number seven at age 44, he became the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.

Only Ryan, Sandy Koufax (four), Cy Young (three), Bob Feller (three), Larry Corcoran (three), and Justin Verlander (three) have pitched more than two no-hitters.[6] Corcoran was the first pitcher to throw a second no-hitter in a career (in 1882), as well as the first to throw a third (in 1884).

Thirty-six pitchers have thrown more than one no-hitter, combined no-hitters not counting. Nolan Ryan has the longest gap between no-hitters: he threw his first as a member of the California Angels on May 15, 1973 and his last as a Texas Ranger on May 1, 1991.

The pitcher who holds the record for the shortest time between no-hitters is Johnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher in history to throw no-hitters in consecutive starts, while playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938.[7] Besides Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds (in 1951), Virgil Trucks (in 1952), Ryan (in 1973), and Max Scherzer (in 2015) were the only major leaguers to throw two no-hitters during the same regular season.

Jim Maloney also had two no-hitters under the old rules in the 1965 season, both of them taking extra innings. In the first one on June 14, he gave up a home run to Johnny Lewis to open the top of the 11th inning, turning 10 innings of no-hit ball into a 1–0 loss to the New York Mets. According to the rules at the time, this was considered a no-hitter.[8] On August 19, a home run by Leo Cárdenas in the tenth inning allowed Maloney to earn a 1–0 10-inning no-hit win over the Chicago Cubs.[9]

Roy Halladay threw two no-hitters in 2010 – a perfect game during the regular season and a no-hitter in the 2010 National League Division Series. He is the only major leaguer to have thrown no-hitters in regular season and postseason play.

Jason Varitek caught four no-hitters during his MLB career.

Two pitchers missing their non-pitching hand have thrown no-hitters; Hugh Daily, of the Cleveland Blues, defeated the Philadelphia Quakers 1–0 on September 13, 1883, and Jim Abbott, of the New York Yankees, defeated the Cleveland Indians 4–0 on September 4, 1993. Daily lost his left hand in a gun accident as a child, and Abbott was born without a right hand.

The record for most no-hitters caught by a catcher is four, a record shared by Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz. Varitek caught no-hitters for Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, and Jon Lester.[10] Varitek also caught a rain-shortened, five-inning unofficial no-hitter for Devern Hansack on October 1, 2006.[11] Ruiz caught two no-hitters for Roy Halladay, including a perfect game, as well as one for Cole Hamels, and a combined no-hitter for Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, and Jonathan Papelbon.[12] Before MLB redefined "no-hitter", Ray Schalk had long held the record of catching four no-hitters, but his first nine-inning no-hitter had ended with a hit in the tenth inning.[11][13] Victor Caratini is the only player to catch consecutive no-hitters with two different teams, and the tenth to catch consecutive no-hitters at all. the first came on September 13, 2020 with the Chicago Cubs, and the second on April 9, 2021 with the San Diego Padres.[14]

Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both the American League and the National League: Cy Young, Ryan, Jim Bunning, Nomo, and Randy Johnson. Only five catchers have caught a no-hitter in each league: Gus Triandos, Jeff Torborg, Darrell Porter, Ron Hassey, and most recently, Drew Butera.[15] Triandos caught Hoyt Wilhelm's 1958 no-hitter and Jim Bunning's perfect game, Torborg caught Koufax's perfect game and Ryan's first no-hitter, Porter caught Jim Colborn's 1977 no-hitter and Bob Forsch's second no-hitter in 1983, and Hassey caught Len Barker's and Dennis Martínez's perfect games. Butera caught a 2011 no-hitter by Francisco Liriano and a 2014 no-hitter by Josh Beckett.[15]

Team[]

No team has thrown no-hitters in consecutive games, although it has happened once on consecutive days: On May 5, 1917, Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns no-hit the Chicago White Sox, and teammate Bob Groom repeated the feat in the second game of a doubleheader the following day.

On two occasions, there have been back-to-back no-hitters thrown by each team in a series. On September 17, 1968, Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cardinals' Ray Washburn no-hit the Giants the following day. On April 30, 1969, Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Houston Astros, and the Astros' Don Wilson no-hit the Reds the following day. Surprisingly, it was both Maloney's and Wilson's second no-hitter in their careers.

Teams have thrown two straight no-hitters, with no other teams pitching one in the interim, 19 times; most recently by the Houston Astros (a combined no-hitter using 4 pitchers and Justin Verlander in 2019). The only team to throw three straight no-hitters was the Milwaukee Braves, with Lew Burdette, followed by consecutive no-no's by Warren Spahn, in 1960 and 1961. Individual pitchers have thrown two straight no-hitters seven times: Addie Joss 1908 and 1910; Vander Meer in 1938; Allie Reynolds in 1951; Warren Spahn in 1960 and 1961; Ryan twice, first in 1973, then in 1974 and 1975; and Bailey. All seven instances were with the same team.

The Cleveland Indians are the only team to be no-hit three times in a single season, doing so in 2021. They were no-hit by Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox on April 14, 2021. They then failed to record a hit against the Cincinnati Reds' Wade Miley on May 7, 2021. Finally, they were held hitless by Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers on September 11, 2021. Remarkably, Zach Plesac was the Indians' pitcher for all three no-hitters. In addition to these official no-hitters, the Indians also failed to record a hit against the Tampa Bay Rays[16] in the second game of a doubleheader on July 7, 2021. This is not considered an official no-hitter because the game only lasted seven innings.[17]

Combined no-hitters[]

The vast majority of no-hit games are finished by the starting pitcher, but 14 MLB no-hitters have been thrown by a combination of the starting and relief pitchers. The first such combined no-hitter occurred on June 23, 1917, when Ernie Shore of the Boston Red Sox relieved starter Babe Ruth, who had been ejected for arguing with the umpire after walking the first batter of the game. The runner was subsequently caught stealing and Shore retired the next 26 batters without allowing any baserunners. This game was long considered a perfect game for Shore, since he recorded 27 outs in succession; current rules classify it only as a combined no-hitter. Another major league combined no-hitter did not occur until April 30, 1967, when Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles recorded the final out in relief of Steve Barber in a 2–1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

The only combined extra inning no-hitter to date occurred on July 12, 1997. Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Francisco Córdova (9 innings) and Ricardo Rincón (1 inning) combined to no-hit the Houston Astros, 3–0. Victory was secured with a three-run walk-off home run by pinch hitter Mark Smith in the bottom of the tenth inning.

Mike Witt pitched in both a complete game no-hitter and a combined no-hitter.

On June 11, 2003, the Houston Astros set a record with six pitchers involved in a combined no-hitter. On that day, Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner combined to hold the New York Yankees hitless. Oswalt was removed after one inning due to injury. Munro pitched the most innings, 2+2⁄3. He also allowed five of the six baserunners, giving up three walks, hitting a batter and seeing another reach on an error by third baseman Geoff Blum. The only other baserunner was allowed by Dotel, who threw a third-strike wild pitch to Alfonso Soriano with one out in the eighth; Dotel went on to record the forty-fifth four-strikeout inning in regular-season play.[18] Lidge, who retired all six hitters he faced over the sixth and seventh innings, earned the victory. On June 8, 2012, the Seattle Mariners tied this record when Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers. Millwood pitched 6 innings before he was taken out due to a groin injury.

Only one pitcher has thrown a no-hitter as a starter and contributed to a combined no-hitter as a reliever. On September 30, 1984, Mike Witt threw a 1–0 perfect game for the California Angels against the Texas Rangers. On April 11, 1990, pitching the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Mark Langston, Witt earned a save in another 1–0 no-hit victory for the Angels over the Seattle Mariners.

Vida Blue, Kent Mercker, Kevin Millwood, and Cole Hamels are the only pitchers to start both a complete game no-hitter and a combined no-hitter. Vida Blue no-hit the Minnesota Twins on September 21, 1970, while pitching for the Oakland Athletics. He combined with Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad, and Rollie Fingers to no-hit the California Angels on September 28, 1975. While with the Atlanta Braves in 1991, Mercker, Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Peña no-hit the San Diego Padres in the National League's first combined no-hitter. Mercker threw a complete game no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8, 1994. In addition to the game above in which Millwood and the Seattle Mariners tied the record by using six pitchers in a no-hitter, Millwood previously threw a complete game no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on April 27, 2003, while with the Philadelphia Phillies. Both Mercker and Blue were All-Stars in the seasons of their combined no-hitters, and Blue also won the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award during his career.

Combined no-hitters are not recognized by Nippon Professional Baseball.

Opening Day, title-clinching, and postseason no-hitters[]

Bob Feller pitched the first (and to date only) Opening Day no-hitter, in 1940.

The Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller left the Chicago White Sox hitless in the 1940 season opener on April 16, the only official Opening Day no-hitter.

The Houston Astros' Mike Scott no-hit the San Francisco Giants on September 25, 1986, a victory that also clinched the National League West title for the Astros; this is the only such concurrence in Major League history to date. In the first game of a doubleheader on September 28, 1951, Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox which clinched a tie for the American League pennant; the pennant was clinched outright in the doubleheader's second game.

There have been two postseason no-hitters in MLB history, one by a pitcher from each league. For the AL, on October 8, 1956, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game in Game 5 of that year's World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nine years earlier, the Yankees' Bill Bevens had come within one out of a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series, only to lose the game on a pinch-hit double by Cookie Lavagetto. (There have been other one-hitters in the World Series, with the lone hit coming earlier in the game than in Bevens' effort.) For the NL, on October 6, 2010, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies, in the first postseason appearance of his career, threw the second no-hitter in postseason history, in Game 1 of the Phillies' NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds.

Rookie no-hitters[]

Twenty-two MLB rookies have pitched a no-hitter since 1901. Four pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in their first major league start; two others have done it in their second major league starts.[19]

Bumpus Jones of the Cincinnati Reds threw a no-hitter on October 15, 1892 in his first major league game. Jones pitched only eight games in the big leagues, finishing with a career win/loss record of 2–4 and a career earned run average of 7.99.

Ted Breitenstein pitched a no-hitter in his first major league start on October 4, 1891; however, it was not his first major league game.[20] He later threw a second no-hitter on April 22, 1898.

On May 6, 1953, Bobo Holloman pitched a no-hitter for the St. Louis Browns in his first major league start (also not his first major league game). This game would prove to be one of only three major league wins that Holloman achieved, against seven losses, all in 1953. Bill Veeck, then-owner of the Browns, in his autobiography described the 27 outs of Holloman's no-hitter as consisting of hard-hit ground balls, screaming line drives, and deep fly balls.

On August 14, 2021, Tyler Gilbert of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in his first major league start and fourth appearance. His first major league game came just 11 days before his no-hitter.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are nine 300-game winners—Grover Cleveland Alexander, Kid Nichols, Lefty Grove, Early Wynn, Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens and Tom Glavine—who failed to pitch a no-hitter.

On August 11, 1991, Wilson Álvarez of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter in his second career major league start. During Alvarez's first career start, he had allowed three runs on a pair of home runs and did not retire a single batter. Unlike Jones and Holloman, Alvarez went on to win 102 games over a 16-year career.

Clay Buchholz pitched a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in his second major league start on September 1, 2007 at Fenway Park. The game ended in a 10–0 victory for the Red Sox over the Baltimore Orioles.

Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Detroit Tigers on April 30, 1922, in his fourth career start and fifth career appearance.

Nine-inning no-hitters in a losing effort[]

Ken Johnson pitched a no-hitter in 1964 but was the losing pitcher of the game.

Unlike a perfect game, in which no batters reach base, in regular no-hitters batters can reach base in other ways, such as a walk, an error, or a hit batsman, thus it is possible for the team pitching the no-hitter to lose. On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s became the only pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter in nine innings when he was beaten, 1–0, by the Cincinnati Reds. The winning run was scored by Pete Rose in the top of the ninth inning via an error, groundout, and another error.[21]

On April 30, 1967, Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2–1 to the Detroit Tigers.[22]

On July 1, 1990, Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees pitched an eight-inning no-hitter (the Yankees were the away team) against the Chicago White Sox and lost the game 4–0 after an eighth inning which saw three errors.[23] The four runs that the White Sox scored are the most by any team in a game in which they had no hits.[24] Because Hawkins only threw eight innings, this game is not recognized as an official no-hitter by Major League Baseball; however, it was considered a no-hitter at the time it was pitched. In the year after the game, the rules regarding no-hitters, (and rules regarding other statistics), were changed and applied retroactively in order to "clean up the record book". The Hawkins "no-hitter" failed on one main provision of the new standards. To be classified a valid no-hitter, the pitcher or pitching staff must hold the opposing team hitless for the entire game and face opposing batters in at least nine full innings, meaning the only way a team can pitch a losing no-hitter on the road is if the game goes to extra innings and the home team manages to win the game on a walk-off without the benefit of a hit.

On April 12, 1992, Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox faced the Cleveland Indians in the first game of a doubleheader. Young allowed no hits but gave up two runs on seven walks and an error by shortstop Luis Rivera, en route to the second unofficial no-hitter by a losing pitcher on the road.

Jered Weaver and José Arredondo of the Los Angeles Angels also combined for eight innings of no-hit baseball in a 1–0 road loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 28, 2008, after Matt Kemp reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on another error, and scored on a sacrifice fly. However, since the Angels only pitched eight innings, this game is once again not recognized as an official no-hitter.

Shortened no-hitters[]

Matt Young allowed no hits in a 1992 game that is not considered a no-hitter because he only pitched eight innings.

A game shortened by previous agreement or that cannot continue due to weather or darkness may be considered a completed official game, as long as at least five innings have been completed. Until 1991, any such game in which a pitcher held the opposing team without hits was considered an official no-hitter; however under the current rule, a no-hitter must last for at least nine innings to count. There are thirty-seven such shortened no-hitters. As the rule was applied retroactively, there are thirty-five games in which a no-hitter was shortened by previous agreement, weather, or darkness, with lengths ranging from 5 to 8 innings, that are no longer considered no-hitters.

There are four shortened no-hitters that were ended early as part of a previous agreement for travel purposes.[25]

In 2020, MLB started using 7-inning doubleheaders, and on April 25, 2021, Madison Bumgarner threw the fifth shortened no-hitter in baseball history not shortened by weather or darkness. On July 7, 2021, Collin McHugh, Josh Fleming, Diego Castillo, Matt Wisler, and Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays threw a combined 7-inning no-hitter. No-hitters recorded in 7-inning doubleheaders do not count as official no-hitters unless the game lasts at least nine innings and the no-hitter is preserved through the end of the game.

If the home team leads after the top of the ninth, they do not bat in the bottom of the ninth, thus the visiting team only pitches 8 innings. Since it is possible to score runs without getting hits, a visiting team can complete a full game without allowing a hit but not be credited with an official no-hitter. This has happened four times in MLB history: Silver King (1890), Andy Hawkins (1990), and Matt Young (1992) pitched complete games without allowing a hit, but pitched only 8 innings as the losing pitcher from the visiting team, and thus are not credited with a no-hitter.[26][27] On June 28, 2008, Jered Weaver and José Arredondo of the Los Angeles Angels threw 8 no-hit innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, but lost the game, 1–0, and are not credited with a no-hitter. This is the first near no-hitter of this kind in which more than one pitcher was involved.

No-hitters broken up in extra innings[]

A game that is a no-hitter through nine innings may be broken up in extra innings. Under current rules, such a game (whether won or lost) is not considered an official no-hitter because the pitching staff did not keep the opposing team hitless for the entire course of the game.

Rich Hill had a potential no-hitter broken up in extra innings in 2017.

On May 2, 1917, a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds reached the end of nine innings in a hitless scoreless tie,[28] the only time in baseball history that neither team has had a hit in regulation. Both Hippo Vaughn of the Cubs and Fred Toney of the Reds continued pitching into the tenth inning. Vaughn lost his no-hitter in the top of the tenth, as the Reds got two hits and scored the winning run. Toney retired the side in the bottom of the tenth and recorded a ten-inning no-hitter. This game was long considered a "double no-hitter", but Vaughn is no longer credited with a no-hitter under the current rules.

Of the thirteen potential no-hitters that have been lost in extra innings, two were perfect games until the inning when the first hit was surrendered. On May 26, 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a remarkable twelve perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves before losing the perfect game on an error and then the no-hitter and the game in the thirteenth inning. On June 3, 1995, Pedro Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitched nine perfect innings against the San Diego Padres before giving up a hit in the tenth and exiting the game, which the Expos then won, 1–0.[29]

On August 23, 2017, in a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill pitched nine no-hit innings, only to lose his no-hit bid (and the game) on a walk-off homer by Josh Harrison in the 10th inning.[30] This was another potential perfect game; the perfect game was broken up by a ninth-inning error, the first time that had happened in MLB history.[31]

Time between franchise no-hitters[]

All 30 active teams in Major League Baseball have pitched a no-hitter. The last active MLB team to throw its first no-hitter was the San Diego Padres, when pitcher Joe Musgrove struck out ten batters and held the Texas Rangers hitless at Globe Life Field on April 9, 2021, 52 years after the team's debut in 1969.[32] The closest attempt by a single pitcher prior to 2021 was against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 18, 1972: Steve Arlin came within one out of a no-hitter before Denny Doyle broke up his bid with a single.[33] On July 9, 2011, five Padres pitchers combined for 8+2⁄3 innings of no-hit pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers before Juan Uribe hit a double, which was followed by a Dioner Navarro single that allowed the Dodgers to score to win the game, 1–0.

The Cleveland Indians have the longest active no-hitter drought; the last such game thrown by the team was Len Barker's perfect game on May 15, 1981.

The New York Mets, who began play in 1962, went without a no-hitter until Johan Santana pitched one on the night of June 1, 2012, against the St. Louis Cardinals at home at Citi Field. The 8–0 victory closed out their era as the oldest franchise without a no-hitter and ended a drought that lasted 8,019 regular-season and 74 post-season games. As of the start of the 2021 season, Mets pitchers have thrown 39 one-hitters.[34]

The longest no-hitter drought in MLB history was suffered by the Philadelphia Phillies between May 1, 1906, and June 21, 1964, a span of 8,945 games.

The Washington Nationals achieved their first no-hitter on September 28, 2014.[35] The franchise has four previous no-hitters in its history as the Montreal Expos, including a perfect game by Dennis Martínez.

Six current NL teams—the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Cubs and Reds—all pitched their first no-hitters before the advent of the American League in 1901. Among the early National League teams still playing, the last to get their first no-hitter was the St. Louis Cardinals, when Jesse Haines pitched one on July 17, 1924. Of the original American League teams, the last team to get their first no-hitter was the New York Yankees, when George Mogridge pitched one on April 24, 1917. There are a number of short-lived Major League franchises from the nineteenth century that folded without ever recording a no-hitter.

Justin Verlander threw his first two no-hitters for the Detroit Tigers, and more recently one for the Houston Astros.
Joe Musgrove pitched the most recent, and to date only, no-hitter for the San Diego Padres.
Len Barker's perfect game is the most recent no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians.
Most recent no-hitter for each active MLB franchise
Date of no-hitter Pitcher(s) Franchise Time since no-hitter
August 14, 2021 Tyler Gilbert Arizona Diamondbacks 29 days
April 8, 1994 Kent Mercker Atlanta Braves 27 years, 157 days
May 5, 2021 John Means Baltimore Orioles 130 days
May 19, 2008 Jon Lester Boston Red Sox 13 years, 116 days
June 24, 2021 Zach Davies (6 IP)
Ryan Tepera (1 IP)
Andrew Chafin (1 IP)
Craig Kimbrel (1 IP)		 Chicago Cubs 80 days
April 14, 2021 Carlos Rodón Chicago White Sox 151 days
May 7, 2021 Wade Miley Cincinnati Reds 128 days
May 15, 1981 Len Barker Cleveland Indians 40 years, 120 days
April 17, 2010 Ubaldo Jiménez Colorado Rockies 11 years, 148 days
May 18, 2021 Spencer Turnbull Detroit Tigers 117 days
September 1, 2019 Justin Verlander Houston Astros 2 years, 11 days
August 26, 1991 Bret Saberhagen Kansas City Royals 30 years, 17 days
July 12, 2019 Taylor Cole (2 IP)
Félix Peña (7 IP)		 Los Angeles Angels 2 years, 62 days
May 4, 2018 Walker Buehler (6 IP)
Tony Cingrani (1 IP)
Yimi Garcia (1 IP)
Adam Liberatore (1 IP)		 Los Angeles Dodgers 3 years, 131 days
June 3, 2017 Edinson Vólquez Miami Marlins 4 years, 101 days
September 11, 2021 Corbin Burnes (8 IP)
Josh Hader (1 IP)		 Milwaukee Brewers 1 day
May 3, 2011 Francisco Liriano Minnesota Twins 10 years, 132 days
June 1, 2012 Johan Santana New York Mets 9 years, 103 days
May 19, 2021 Corey Kluber New York Yankees 116 days
May 7, 2019 Mike Fiers Oakland Athletics 2 years, 128 days
July 25, 2015 Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies 6 years, 49 days
July 12, 1997 Francisco Córdova (9 IP)
Ricardo Rincón (1 IP)		 Pittsburgh Pirates 24 years, 62 days
April 9, 2021 Joe Musgrove San Diego Padres 156 days
June 9, 2015 Chris Heston San Francisco Giants 6 years, 95 days
May 8, 2018 James Paxton Seattle Mariners 3 years, 127 days
September 3, 2001 Bud Smith St. Louis Cardinals 20 years, 9 days
July 26, 2010 Matt Garza Tampa Bay Rays 11 years, 48 days
July 28, 1994 Kenny Rogers Texas Rangers 27 years, 46 days
September 2, 1990 Dave Stieb Toronto Blue Jays 31 years, 10 days
October 3, 2015 Max Scherzer Washington Nationals 5 years, 344 days

Avoiding no-hitters[]

All modern-era MLB teams have experienced at least two no-hitters pitched against them. The record for the longest period of time without being no-hit is held by the Chicago Cubs, who succeeded in getting at least one hit in every game following Sandy Koufax's perfect game against them on September 9, 1965, until they were no-hit by Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25, 2015, a period of 49 years, 318 days (7951 games, including 31 postseason games). Koufax's perfect game, together with Bob Hundley's one-hitter, is the only major league game in which the two teams combined for only one hit.

The second-longest streak without having an official no-hitter pitched against them is held by the New York Yankees, who had a gap of 44 years, 263 days between nine-inning no-hitters from September 21, 1958, to June 10, 2003. However, during this time, the Yankees failed to collect a hit in a rain-shortened official game on July 12, 1990,[36] after 31 years, 294 days.

Including games of less than nine innings, the St. Louis Cardinals have the second-longest streak between games when they did not collect a hit: May 12, 1919, to May 14, 1960, a period of 41 years, 3 days. Among AL teams, the Kansas City Royals hold the longest such streak: May 15, 1973 to May 19, 2008, a period of 35 years, 4 days.

The longest current streak is held by the Oakland Athletics,[37] last held hitless on July 13, 1991 (30 years, 61 days ago) via a combined no-hitter by four Baltimore Orioles pitchers.[38]

No-hitters and ballparks[]

Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates from the middle of the 1909 season until the middle of the 1970 season, is the only long-term major league ballpark where a no-hitter was never thrown during its existence. There are four recently built fields where no-hitters have not yet been thrown, Busch Stadium, Truist Park, Target Field, and Yankee Stadium. Four parks presently in existence for a decade or more have only seen one no-hitter each: Coors Field, the hitter-friendly home of the Colorado Rockies (Hideo Nomo on September 17, 1996); the Orioles' current home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, known for being hitter friendly (Nomo on April 4, 2001); PNC Park, the current home of the Pirates, which like Forbes Field is known for being hitter-friendly (Homer Bailey on September 28, 2012); and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, which initially was known as a pitcher's park but was modified with shorter fences in 2013 (Tim Lincecum on July 13, 2013).

American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, has hosted two no-hitters, but only one involved its home team. Both no-hitters were thrown by the Chicago Cubs—Alec Mills threw a no-hitter on September 13, 2020, against the Brewers;[39] and Carlos Zambrano pitched one on September 14, 2008, against the "home" Houston Astros in a game displaced by Hurricane Ike.[40]

Nippon Professional Baseball[]

See also: List of Nippon Professional Baseball no-hitters

There have been 66 no-hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball history. As noted above, unlike Major League Baseball, the Japanese league does not count combined or not shutout no-hitters.

Negro leagues[]

Ongoing research by baseball historians has revealed the existence of 34 no-hitters thrown in Negro league baseball; the research has had to clarify differences between play from teams and barnstorming, and one of the no-hitters was done at a Benefit All-Star Game. In 2020, Major League Baseball announced the addition of the seven "Negro Major Leagues" that played from 1920 to 1948 as major leagues, which recognized statistics from over 3,400 players that played in those seasons, which will only increase the need for further research and verification over no-hitters. [41]

This presumes that 22 to 24 no-hitters from that said era (22 regular season, one postseason, one All-Star game) could be recognized by official record books such as Elias in future years. There are also six games that were prematurely cut from the intended length of nine innings that were called due to weather that ranged from 1926 to 1945, one of which includes Luther Farrell and his seven-inning no-hitter in Game 5 of the 1927 Colored World Series. [42][43]

Four pitchers threw two no-hitters: Bill Gatewood, Phil Cockrell, Jesse Winters, and Satchel Paige; Dick Redding, nicknamed "Cannonball", was reported to have thrown as many as 30 no-hitters in his career, but the disparity in finding enough box scores to verify such claim still proves too great for researchers (incidentally, Paige had estimated he threw 55 no-hitters in a long career of league games and barnstorming). At any rate, his no-hitter for the Lincoln Giants against the Cuban Stars is generally considered the first no-hitter documented between two African American teams considered to have played at the highest level. Leon Day threw a no-hitter on May 5, 1946 to open the season for the Newark Eagles against the Philadelphia Stars, which is believed to be the second no-hitter thrown by a pitcher on Opening Day.

Eleven were done in the 1910s, while fourteen were verified to have been done in the 1920s, six in the 1930s, and three in the 1940s. Likely the most famous no-hitter thrown by a player in the Negro leagues was Red Grier, who pitched a no-hitter in Game 3 of the 1926 Colored World Series on October 3, 1926, doing so for the Bacharach Giants against the Chicago American Giants.[44] It was the first no-hitter thrown in a major league postseason game, and no one would throw another in the playoffs until Don Larsen 30 years later.

In December 2020, Major League Baseball announced that it was classifying the seven "Negro Major Leagues" as major leagues, recognizing statistics and approximately 3,400 players who played from 1920 to 1948.[45]

International competition[]

In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, Shairon Martis pitched a no-hitter for the Netherlands against Panama, however it was only for seven innings due to the mercy rule.

No-hitter with complete game shutout win[]

Unlike the MLB and WBSC (global sanctioning body of baseball) definitions, a no-hitter is called a "no hit, no run" game in Eastern Asian professional leagues. The requirements are different than the traditional definition; the game is a shutout victory where the starting pitcher pitches the entire game while allowing no hits, and no runs are scored (a no-hitter by the traditional definition runs may score by walk, hit by pitch, defensive interference, errors, stolen bases, and balks). In those leagues, a no-hitter is not regarded as official record unless the starting pitcher pitches the whole game and the opposing team scores zero runs, and the team either wins or the game ends in a tie, which happens when the innings limit is reached. There is a twelve-inning limit in these leagues.

Superstitions[]

One of the most common baseball superstitions is that it is bad luck to mention a no-hitter in progress, especially to the pitcher and in particular by their teammates (who sometimes even go so far as to avoid even going near the pitcher).[46] Some sportscasters observe this taboo while others have no reservations about mentioning no-hitters before completion. When Sandy Koufax pitched his no-hitter against the Mets in 1962, one of their 120 losses that season, Mets' coach Solly Hemus, apparently trying to jinx Koufax, kept heckling him through the game about pitching a no-hitter, according to a post-game interview Koufax gave after pitching his third no-hitter in 1964. An early biography of Koufax quoted him as telling his catcher, during that 1964 no-hitter, "Let's just go to the fastball and get this no-hit thing over with."[citation needed] Mickey Mantle, in an interview for Ken Burns' 1994 Baseball documentary series, related that Don Larsen, famed for his 1956 World Series perfect game, tried to talk about his no-hitter throughout the contest but much to his chagrin his Yankee teammates avoided his conversation and maintained the superstition.

When Los Angeles Angels rookie Bo Belinsky entered the final inning of his no-hitter in 1962, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jackie Brandt passed him on the field as the teams changed sides. According to Belinsky biographer Maury Allen, Brandt told Belinsky, "Nice game, Bo, but it's over. I'm leading off with a bunt single."[citation needed] Belinsky got Brandt out to start the final inning of his no-hitter.

In 2009, when Mark Buehrle was pitching his perfect game, as he exited the field after the eighth inning, White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson exclaimed, "Call your sons! Call your daughters! Call your friends! Call your neighbors! Mark Buehrle has a perfect game going into the ninth!"[citation needed] Buehrle retired the side in the ninth to complete the perfect game.

When Jim Bunning was pitching his perfect game in 1964, he deliberately violated this superstition, talking to his teammates about the perfect game's progress in order to dispel the tension in the dugout.[47]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Milwaukee's Burnes has no-hitter through 8 innings". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "How many no-hitters have been thrown in 2021? D-backs rookie sets MLB record with latest". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  3. ^ "Rules, Regulations and Statistics". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  4. ^ Donaghy, Jack (April 14, 1992). "Is revised no-hitter rule a no-no?". Eugene Register-Guard. pp. 2D. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  5. ^ "Year In Review : 1991 National League". Baseball Almanac. 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  6. ^ "No Hitter Records by Baseball Almanac". Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "Johnny Vander Meer's Two Consecutive No-Hitters by Baseball Almanac". Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  8. ^ "June 14, 1965 New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  9. ^ "August 19, 1965 Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  10. ^ "No-hitter a record fourth for Varitek". Boston Red Sox. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Kaplan, Thomas (May 21, 2008). "Red Sox' No-Hitter Puts Variety in Record Books". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  12. ^ "Carlos Ruiz caught his fourth no-hitter, tying Jason Varitek's record". July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  13. ^ Grosshandler, Stan (2012). "Unsung Heroes: No-Hit Catchers". SABR: Research Journals Archive. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  14. ^ Justice De Los Santos and AJ Cassavell (April 10, 2021). "1 catcher, 2 teams, back-to-back no-hitters". mlb.com.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b "Josh Beckett's no-hitter is the second that Drew Butera has caught". Los Angeles Times. May 26, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  16. ^ Collin McHugh, Josh Fleming, Diego Castillo, Matt Wisler, and Pete Fairbanks were the Rays' pitchers.
  17. ^ "Plesac, Indians no-hit for 3rd time in 2021". MLB.com. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  18. ^ "4 Strikeouts In 1 Inning". Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  19. ^ "Rare Feats". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  20. ^ Gisclair, S. Derby (August 2, 2004). "A No-Hitter In His First Start". baseballlibrary.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2008.
  21. ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Cincinnati Reds 1, Houston Colt .45s 0". Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  22. ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Detroit Tigers 2, Baltimore Orioles 1 (1)". Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  23. ^ Martinez, Michael (July 2, 1990). "No-Hitter, but With No Glory". New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  24. ^ "Most runs scored with no hits » Baseball-Reference Blog » Blog Archive". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  25. ^ "The Shortened No-Hitters – Society for American Baseball Research".
  26. ^ "American League No Hitters by Baseball Almanac". Archived from the original on August 4, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  27. ^ The Chronology – 1890 | BaseballLibrary.com Archived May 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Sullivan, Dean. Middle Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1900–1948. 2001, U. of Nebraska Press, ISBN 978-0-8032-9283-3, pp. 82–84. Reprint of contemporary newspaper account.
  29. ^ "June 3, 1995 Montreal Expos at San Diego Padres Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  30. ^ Berry, Adam and Ken Gurnick (August 23, 2017). "Bucs' 1st hit is 10th-inning walk-off HR off Hill". mlb.com. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  31. ^ Joseph, Andrew (August 23, 2017). "Rich Hill lost a 9-inning no-hitter in the most heartbreaking way possible". USA Today.
  32. ^ "Padres 3, Rangers 0 (Final Score) on MLB Gameday". MLB.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  33. ^ Arlin misses no-hitter by a strike as ball bounces over Roberts' head
  34. ^ "A History Lesson: One-Hitters". Mets Rewind. March 28, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  35. ^ "Rare Jordan: Zimm tosses first Nats no-hitter". Nationals.com.
  36. ^ "Chicago White Sox 8, New York Yankees 0". Retrosheet. July 12, 1990. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  37. ^ "Last time each team was no-hit". nonohitters.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  38. ^ Huber, Mike. "July 13, 1991: Four Orioles pitchers combine for no-hitter against A's". SABR. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  39. ^ "Chicago Cubs 12, Milwaukee Brewers 0". Retrosheet. September 13, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  40. ^ "Chicago Cubs 5, Houston Astros 0". Retrosheet. September 14, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  41. ^ Anderson, R.J. (December 16, 2020). "MLB Elevates Negro Leagues to 'Major League' Status, Giving 'Overdue Recognition' to 3,400 Players". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  42. ^ https://www.retrosheet.org/NegroLeagues/boxesetc/NgLg/B10080ACY1927.htm
  43. ^ https://www.nonohitters.com/2020/12/18/an-analysis-of-each-negro-leagues-no-hitters-likeliness-of-earning-a-spot-on-the-mlb-list/
  44. ^ https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/ahead-of-their-time-negro-leagues-no-hitters/
  45. ^ Anderson, R.J. (December 16, 2020). "MLB Elevates Negro Leagues to 'Major League' Status, Giving 'Overdue Recognition' to 3,400 Players". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  46. ^ Gmelch, George (September 2000). "Revised version of "Superstition and Ritual in American Baseball" from Elysian Fields Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 3, 1992, pp. 25–36". McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  47. ^ Buckley Jr., James (2002). Perfect: The Inside Story of Baseball's Seventeen Perfect Games (Triumph Books). ISBN 1-57243-454-6, p. vi

External links[]

Retrieved from ""