Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 14

Back-to-back no-hit starts, Part 4 — Les Cain

Part 4 of our look at baseball’s six “other” back to back starts — the nightcap of a day-night blog-post doubleheader — features the Detroit Tigers’ Les Cain.

Our series is in recognition of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer’s amazing accomplishment 82 years ago. On Saturday, June 11, 1938, Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Bees at home at Crosley Field. Four days later, he threw another no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field to become the only major-league pitcher to throw back-to-back no-nos.

Mike Moore, Frank MacCormack, Gary Gentry, Les Cain, Sandy Koufax and Rex Barney all threw back-to-back no-hit starts, though none of their outings went nine innings. The details of those starts generated using http://www.baseball-reference.com‘s superb Play Index are below, and we’ve been taking a closer look at each of the pairings each day.

No. 4: Les Cain

Les Cain was a member of the Detroit Tigers rotation in 1970 and 1971, starting 55 games over the stretch. That’s second only to Mickey Lolich.

But Cain began drawing the ire of Manager Billy Martin in the start of the 1972 season after getting off to an 0-3 start. Cain’s struggles were partially attributed to a bad shoulder, but it was clear by newspaper accounts that Cain was getting on Martin’s nerves.

Cain took the ball against Milwaukee at Tiger Stadium on May 24, 1972, and held the Brewers hitless through 5 1/3 innings, but he got into trouble in the sixth inning by issuing his third, fourth and fifth bases on balls of the night. Cain walked pinch hitter Ron Theobald and retired Bob Heise on a ground out before walking Tommie Reynolds and George Scott. Martin gave the ball to reliever Fred Scherman, who allowed all three inherited runners to score.

“Do you know that Cain has started 64 games and finished just eight?” Martin asked the AP. “Apparently he’s a shutout pitcher if he would just stay away from the walks.”

Cain’s next start came four days later at Yankee Stadium, and after Cain issued a leadoff walk to Horace Clarke, Martin had seen enough. Cain was pulled from the game,. placed on the disabled list and never again appeared in a game for the Tigers or any other MLB team.

Cain had just technically thrown back-to-back no-hit starts, and they were his last in the majors.

Name
Game 1
Game 2
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
ERA
HBP
WP
TM




Mike Moore
1985-05-30
1985-06-04
2.1
0
2
2
4
1
7.71
0
0
SEA


Frank MacCormack
1976-07-26
1977-04-24
3.1
0
3
3
7
2
8.10
2
4
DET-SEA


Gary Gentry
1973-06-05
1973-06-10
3.0
0
1
1
4
0
3.00
0
0
ATL


Les Cain
1972-05-24
1972-05-28
5.1
0
4
4
6
5
6.75
0
0
DET


Sandy Koufax
1958-07-05
1958-07-18
2.1
0
1
1
4
4
3.86
0
0
LAD


Rex Barney
1943-09-25
1943-09-28
2.1
0
2
2
6
1
7.71
0
0
BRO




Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 4/10/2016.

Back-to-back no-hit starts, Part 3 — Gary Gentry

We’ve reached Part 3 of our look at baseball’s six “other” back-to-back starts in recognition of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer’s amazing accomplishment 82 years ago.

On Saturday, June 11, 1938, Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Bees at home at Crosley Field. Four days later, he threw another no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field to become the only major-league pitcher to throw back-to-back no-nos.

Mike Moore, Frank MacCormack, Gary Gentry, Les Cain, Sandy Koufax and Rex Barney all threw back-to-back no-hit starts, though none of their outings went nine innings. The details of those starts generated using http://www.baseball-reference.com‘s superb Play Index are below, and we’ve been taking a closer look each of the pairings each day. Today’s day post (we’re having a day-night doubleheader) features the Atlanta Braves’ Gary Gentry.

No. 3: Gary Gentry

Gary Gentry, a New York Mets starter traded to the Atlanta Braves following the 1972 season, took the mound on June 5, 1973 for a start at Parc Jarry against the Montreal Expos despite dealing with a sore shoulder. He retired a couple of Rons — Hunt and Woods — before walking another — Fairley.

Gentry retired Ken Singleton to get out of the inning but never returned to the mound, as Manager Eddie Mathews sent up Chuck Goggin to pinch hit in the second. The Expos wound up winning 7-6 in 11 innings.

Five days later, while still fighting shoulder soreness, Gentry started the opener of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals by walking Lou Brock and Ted Sizemore. The walks led to a run, as Brock advanced to third on a Joe Torre ground out and scored on a Ted Simmons sacrifice, but Gentry minimized the damage to one run. He mixed one walk into an otherwise quiet second inning but was done for the day after just 2 innings.

The Cardinals won that game 4-3, and the Braves’ Roric Harrison flirted with a no-hitter in the nightcap, holding a zero in the H column until Ken Reitz led off the sixth inning with a triple.

Gentry’s back-to-back starts in June 1973 were hardly memorable, but he held opponents hitless in each.

Name
Game 1
Game 2
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
ERA
HBP
WP
TM




Mike Moore
1985-05-30
1985-06-04
2.1
0
2
2
4
1
7.71
0
0
SEA


Frank MacCormack
1976-07-26
1977-04-24
3.1
0
3
3
7
2
8.10
2
4
DET-SEA


Gary Gentry
1973-06-05
1973-06-10
3.0
0
1
1
4
0
3.00
0
0
ATL


Les Cain
1972-05-24
1972-05-28
5.1
0
4
4
6
5
6.75
0
0
DET


Sandy Koufax
1958-07-05
1958-07-18
2.1
0
1
1
4
4
3.86
0
0
LAD


Rex Barney
1943-09-25
1943-09-28
2.1
0
2
2
6
1
7.71
0
0
BRO




Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 4/10/2016.

Padres’ AAA pitcher no-hits Tigers, 39 years ago today

Padres prospect George Stablein threw a Hawaiian AAA no-hitter witnessed by the San Diego Chicken, 39 years ago today.

Stablein, pitching for the Pacific Coast League Hawaii Islanders on Saturday June 13, 1981, no-hit the Tacoma Tigers for a 6-1 victory. Stablein intermixed his fastball, slider, sinker and change-up to retire the first 14 batters before issuing his first of three base on balls. His third walk, an 8th-inning free pass to Kevin Bell, led to an unearned run.

“I was always thinking to get that first man out every inning,” Stablein told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. “And the one inning I didn’t was the inning they scored the run. I issued the walks and I’ll take the blame for the run.”

Stablein struck out six Tigers as 8,065 Aloha Stadium fans enjoyed both his pitching performance and entertainment provided by the Chicken.

The minor-league gem by Stablein, who appeared in four games for the 1980 San Diego Padres, was the first 9-inning no-no thrown by an Islanders pitcher since Bo Belinsky no-hit the Tacoma Cubs in 1968. The Islanders in that year were a Chicago White Sox affiliate.

Back-to-back no-hit starts, Part 2 — Frank MacCormack

We’re continuing our look at baseball’s six “other” back to back starts in recognition of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer’s amazing accomplishment 82 years ago.

On Saturday, June 11, 1938, Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Bees at home at Crosley Field. Four days later, he would no-hit the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field to become the only major-league pitcher to throw back-to-back no-nos.

Mike Moore, Frank MacCormack, Gary Gentry, Les Cain, Sandy Koufax and Rex Barney all threw back-to-back no-hit starts, though none of their outings went nine innings. The details of those starts generated using http://www.baseball-reference.com‘s superb Play Index are below, and we’re taking a closer look at one each day:

No. 2: Frank MacCormack

The Detroit Tigers’ Frank MacCormack, who was 0-5 on the season, got the start against the Brewers at Milwaukee County Stadium on July 26, 1976, and nearly backed his way into the record books despite a brief horrible outing.

Frank MacCormack

We’ll let Retrosheet give the play-by-play for MacCormack’s one-third-inning appearance:

BREWERS 1ST: Joshua flied out to center; Money walked; MacCormack threw a wild pitch [Money to second]; Scott walked; MacCormack threw a wild pitch [Money to third, Scott to second];

Aaron walked; CRAWFORD REPLACED MACCORMACK (PITCHING)

Jim Crawford took over with the bases loaded and walked in two runs, but finished out the inning without allowing a hit as the Brewers led 2-0. Starting with the final out of the first inning, Crawford retired 22 straight batters and didn’t lose the combined no-hitter until the ninth, when George Scott led off with a single to center. The Tigers wound up winning 4-3 in the 13th inning.

MacCormack never pitched another inning for the Tigers, but the Seattle Mariners drafted him from the Tigers in the 1976 expansion draft.

MacCormack got his next start during the second game of an April 24, 1977 doubleheader at the Kingdome, and this time he made it into the fourth inning without allowing a hit, but his wildness against the Kansas City Royals got the best of him.

MacCormack began the game by walking George Brett and he allowed him to advance to second on a wild pitch. He then hit John Mayberry with a pitch but escaped the inning without allowing a run. The second inning was less eventful, with just a lone walk, but MacCormack got into trouble in the third.

He again led off the inning by walking Brett and then hit Hal McRae with a pitch. He managed to get one line-out before throwing a wild pitch to Mayberry, allowing Brett to score. He got out of the third, but when he walked Cowens to lead off the fourth inning, Manager Darrell Johnson called to the bullpen for John Montague, who finished out the game for a 4-2 victory.

The two games weren’t pretty, but MacCormack can say he had back-to-back no-hit starts.

Name
Game 1
Game 2
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
ERA
HBP
WP
TM




Mike Moore
1985-05-30
1985-06-04
2.1
0
2
2
4
1
7.71
0
0
SEA


Frank MacCormack
1976-07-26
1977-04-24
3.1
0
3
3
7
2
8.10
2
4
DET-SEA


Gary Gentry
1973-06-05
1973-06-10
3.0
0
1
1
4
0
3.00
0
0
ATL


Les Cain
1972-05-24
1972-05-28
5.1
0
4
4
6
5
6.75
0
0
DET


Sandy Koufax
1958-07-05
1958-07-18
2.1
0
1
1
4
4
3.86
0
0
LAD


Rex Barney
1943-09-25
1943-09-28
2.1
0
2
2
6
1
7.71
0
0
BRO




Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 4/10/2016.

Back-to-back no-hit starts, Part 1 — Mike Moore

On Saturday, June 11, 1938, 82 years ago today, the Cincinnati Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Bees at home at Crosley Field. Four days later, he would no-hit the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field to become the only major-league pitcher to throw back-to-back no-nos.

Repeating a series of posts we launched back in 2016, we’re using these the days between Vandeer Meer’s starts to account for the other six times that major-league pitchers have had back-to-back starts with no-hits. None of these outings went nine innings, but Mike Moore, Frank MacCormack, Gary Gentry, Les Cain, Sandy Koufax and Rex Barney all threw back-to-back no-hit starts. The details of those starts generated using http://www.baseball-reference.com‘s superb Play Index are below, and we’ll take a closer look at one each day starting with the most recent:

No. 1: Mike Moore

Mike Moore

Seattle Mariners starter Mike Moore retired the first four Baltimore Orioles he faced during his start at Memorial Stadium on May 30, 1985. But when he walked Fred Lynn with one out in the second inning, he had to leave the game with a groin injury.

Moore returned to the mound on June 4 and made it through the first inning of his start against the Detroit Tigers with just a base on balls, but when he walked Lance Parrish and Darrell Evans to begin the second, Mariners manager Chuck Cottier pulled him and gave the ball to reliever Salome Barojas.

Moore didn’t allow a hit in either outing.

Name
Game 1
Game 2
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
ERA
HBP
WP
TM




Mike Moore
1985-05-30
1985-06-04
2.1
0
2
2
4
1
7.71
0
0
SEA


Frank MacCormack
1976-07-26
1977-04-24
3.1
0
3
3
7
2
8.10
2
4
DET-SEA


Gary Gentry
1973-06-05
1973-06-10
3.0
0
1
1
4
0
3.00
0
0
ATL


Les Cain
1972-05-24
1972-05-28
5.1
0
4
4
6
5
6.75
0
0
DET


Sandy Koufax
1958-07-05
1958-07-18
2.1
0
1
1
4
4
3.86
0
0
LAD


Rex Barney
1943-09-25
1943-09-28
2.1
0
2
2
6
1
7.71
0
0
BRO




Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 4/10/2016.

CAG’s Dougherty notches no-no day after Johnson, 107 years ago today

Charles “Pat” Dougherty threw a Negro Leagues no-hitter for the Chicago American Giants a day after a teammate threw one, 107 years ago today.

On Monday, June 9, 1913, Dougherty no-hit Paterson Smart Set for an 8-0 win. Dougherty struck out seven and walked one.

The previous day, Louis Decatur “Dicta” Johnson no-hit the same squad for a 9-0 win. It might be the only time in major baseball history that a team notched back-to-back no-hitters.

‘Dicta’ Johnson throws Negro Leagues no-no, 107 years ago today

“Dicta” Johnson threw a Negro Leagues no-hitter for the Chicago American Giants, 107 years ago today.

On Sunday, June 8, 1913, Louis Decatur “Dicta” Johnson no-hit Paterson Smart Set for a 9-0 win. Johnson struck out seven and walked four. The next day, teammate Charles Dougherty threw a no-no against the same team.

Johnson, a 5-foot-7, 134-pound right-hander from Elizabethtown, Illinois, pitched from 1908 through 1923 and briefly served as a player-manager for the Pittsburgh Keystones and as a player-coach for the Toledo Tigers late in his career.

6 Mariners pitchers no-hit Dodgers, 8 years ago today

Six Seattle Mariners pitchers no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers, eight years ago today.

On Friday, June 8, 2012, at Safeco Field, the tandem no-hit the L.A. for a 1-0 win. Kevin Millwood began the game with six no-hit innings. Finishing out the no-no in relief were: Charlie Furbush (2/3), Stephen Pryor (1/3), Lucas Luetge (1/3), Brandon League (2/3) and Tom Wilhelmsen (1). It tied the Houston Astros for most pitchers used in a no-no.

Millwood threw his own no-hitter while with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003.

Happy birthday Bill McCahan, threw Philadelphia A’s no-no

Today would be the 99th birthday of Bill McCahan, who threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Athletics as a rookie in 1947.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound right-hander from Philadelphia no-hit the Washington Senators at Shibe Park on Wednesday, September 3, 1947. McCahan struck out two yet didn’t walk a single batter. His perfect game was marred by a second-inning throwing error by first-baseman Ferris Fain.

McCahan told the AP that he didn’t know he was pitching a no-no until the ninth inning.

Detroit Stars’ Gatewood throws first Negro National League no-no, 99 years ago today

The Detroit Stars’ Bill Gatewood threw the first Negro National League no-hitter, 99 years ago today.

On Monday, June 6, 1921, Gatewood no-hit the Cincinnati Cubans for a 4-0 win. It was his second of two documented no-hitters. On Saturday, May 13, 1916, while pitching for the St. Louis Giants, Gatewood through a no-no against the Cuban Stars for a 4-1 win.

Nicknamed “Big Bill,” the 6-foot-7 spitballer from San Antonio, Texas, managed the St. Louis Stars and Birmingham Black Barons after his playing career.