Dirk Lammers's Blog, page 96

Stripling pulled after tossing 7 1/3 innings no-hit ball in MLB debut

Bumpus JonesThe Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ross Stripling tossed 7⅓ innings of no-hit ball in his first major-league appearance Friday night before being pulled for a reliever who lost the no-no.

When Stripling hit 100 pitches, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts took the ball and handed it to Chris Hatcher, who yielded a two-run homer to Trevor Brown to kill the chance of a combined no-hitter and even the score at 2-2. The Giants wound up winning the game in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off homer by Brandon Crawford.

The only pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first major league appearance is the Cincinnati Reds’ Charles “Bumpus” Jones. Jones got the start for Cincinnati’s final game of the 1892 season on Saturday, October 15, and no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates for a 7-1 home victory at League Park.

Two pitchers (Ted Breitenstein and Bobo Holloman) have thrown no-hitters in the first major league starts, but only Jones did it in his first major league appearance. You can read about Jones, Breitenstein and Holloman in Chapter 4 of Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders: More Than a Century of Pitching’s Greatest Feats.

Happy birthday Hippo Vaughn

James ‘Hippo’ VaughnHappy birthday to the Chicago Cubs’ James “Hippo” Vaughn, who came up on the losing end of baseball’s only double nine-inning no-hitter.

Vaughn, born 128 years ago today and the Cincinnati Reds’ Fred Toney, pictured above, both held their opponents hitless through nine innings of baseball at Weeghman Park on Wednesday, May 2, 1917.

The game went to the 10th, and the Reds scored on a single, an error and a error on a swinging bunt. Toney got the no-no and the 1-0 victory, but Vaughn had to settle for a stellar performance that’s not recognized as a no-hitter.

Mercker throws Braves no-no, 22 years ago today

The Atlanta Braves’ Kent Mercker threw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on this day in 1994.

Mercker, who had already thrown 6 innings of a combined no-hitter in 1991, held the Dodgers to four walks (two of them in the first inning) on Friday, April 8, 1994 at Dodger Stadium. Only one Dodger reached second base.

On Wednesday, September 11, 1991 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Mercker threw 6 hitless innings against the San Diego Padres but yielded the seventh to Mark Wohlers. Wohlers kept the no-no going for another 2 innings and Alejandro Pena closed out the ninth for a 1-0 no-hit victory.

Mercker’s 1994 no-no was the last thrown by an Atlanta Braves pitcher. The only teams in a longer drought are the Kansas City Royals (1991), the Baltimore Orioles (1991), the Toronto Blue Jays (1990), the Milwaukee Brewers (1987), the Cleveland Indians (1981) and the San Diego Padres (never), as chronicled on our new Most recent no-hitters by major-league team page.

Happy birthday to Bill Stoneman, Tom Phoebus, Ed Lafitte

Tom PhoebusToday is a busy day for no-no birthdays, with Bill Stoneman turning 72, Tom Phoebus turning 74 and Ed Lafitte (1866) born on this day.

Stoneman threw two no-hitters for the Montreal Expos. His first came in the club’s ninth game, as Stoneman no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, April 17, 1969 at Connie Mack Stadium. His second came during the first game of a Parc Jarry doubleheader on Monday, October 2, 1972, as the Expos topped the New York Mets 7-0.

Phoebus a Baltimore native who turns 74 today, tossed a no-no for his hometown Orioles on Saturday, April 27, 1968 at Memorial Stadium. The O’s topped the Boston Red Sox in that game 6-0.

Lafitte began his career with the Detroit Tigers. He moved over to the competing Federal League in 1914 and was pitching for the Brooklyn Tip-Tops when he threw his no-hitter against the Kansas City Packers during the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, September 19, 1914 at Brooklyn’s Washington Park.

Padres set mark for early-season scoring futility

The San Diego Padres, the only club still without a no-hitter, set a major-league record Wednesday night by becoming the first club to begin a season by getting shut out three straight times.

In going down 1-2-3 in the ninth against the Los Angles Dodgers in the 7-0 loss, the Padres surpassed the 1943 St. Louis Cardinals, which couldn’t score that club’s first run until the eighth inning of the squad’s third game (Stan Musial scored on a passed ball).

The Padres at least got rid of one albatross last season. On Friday, August 14, 2015, Matt Kemp notched a single, double, triple and home run to become the Padres’ first player to hit for the cycle since the team’s inception in 1969. The Padres are still awaiting the club’s first no-hitter: 7,493 games and counting.

Happy birthday to Blyleven, Greene

Bert Blyleven and Tommy Greene are celebrating no-no birthdays today.

Blyleven, the only no-hitter thrower born in the Netherlands, turns 65 today. The Texas Rangers pitcher from Zeist no-hit the California Angels on Thursday, September 22, 1977 at Anaheim Stadium. Blyleven, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, is now a color analyst for the Minnesota Twins.

Greene, who turns 49, threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, May 23, 1991, against the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium.

Happy birthday no-hitter thrower, umpire Bill Dinneen

Dinneen umpiring at the 1916 World Series.Today we wish a happy 140th birthday to Boston Americans’ pitcher Bill Dinneen, who threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox more than 90 years ago.

Dinneen no-hit the White Sox at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Grounds on during the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, September 27, 1905. Boston topped Chicago 2-0, and Dinneen struck out six.

Dinneen retired in 1909 after pitching 12 season and compiling a 170-177 record with a 3.01 ERA. He transitioned into the role of a major league umpire, and was behind the plate for five no-hitters.

Here are those games:

1
Charles "Chief" Bender


 
Philadelphia Athletics (AL)


 
Thursday, May 12, 1910

Philadelphia Athletics 4, Cleveland Naps 0

Shibe Park (Philadelphia)


2
George Mullin


 
Detroit Tigers (AL)


 
Thursday, July 4, 1912 (Second game of doubleheader)

Detroit Tigers 7, St. Louis Browns 0

Navin Field (Detroit)


3
Hubert "Dutch" Leonard


 
Boston Red Sox (AL)


 
Monday, June 3, 1918

Boston Red Sox 5, Detroit Tigers 0

Navin Field (Detroit)

(Leonard’s second of two no-hitters)


4
"Sad" Sam Jones


 
New York Yankees (AL)


 
Tuesday, September 4, 1923

New York Yankees 2, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Shibe Park (Philadelphia)

(Jones becomes the first MLB pitcher to throw a no hitter without a single strikeout.)


5
Howard Ehmke


 
Boston Red Sox (AL)


 
Friday, September 7, 1923

Boston Red Sox 4, Philadelphia Athletics 0

Shibe Park (Philadelphia)

Baseball’s earliest no-no, 15 years ago today

Hideo Nomo (Boston Red Sox)Today is the 15th anniversary of the earliest regular season no-hitter.

On Wednesday, April 4, 2001, during Boston Red Sox’s second game of the season, Hideo Nomo no-hit the Baltimore Orioles for a 3-0 win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Cleveland Indians Bob Feller threw baseball’s only Opening Day no-no, but it came on Tuesday, April 16, 1940.

Nomo no-hitter against Baltimore was his second no-no. On Tuesday, September 17, 1996, when Nomo was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he no-hit the Colorado Rockies for a 9-0 win at Coors Field.

(Feature photo Camden Yards by Geoff Livingston under license CC BY-SA 2.0)

Happy birthday to no-no throwers Chris Bosio, Guy Hecker

Happy birthday to a pair of no-no throwers who tossed their gems 111 years apart.

The Seattle Mariners’ Chris Bosio, who turns 53 today, threw his no-no against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, April 22, 1993 at the Kingdome for a 7-0 win. Bosio is currently serving as the Chicago Cubs’ pitching coach.

Louisville Eclipse pitcher Guy Hecker, born on this day in 1856, threw his no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys on Tuesday, September 19, 1882 at Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park. The Eclipse won 3-1.

Red Sox’s Viola, Bailey no-hit Phillies in spring game, 23 years ago today

Frank Viola is now a pitching coach in the New York Mets organization.Boston Red Sox pitchers Frank Viola and Corey Bailey combined to no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies in a spring training game, 23 years ago today.

On Friday, April 2, 1993, at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in Clearwater, Florida, Viola threw 7 innings of no-hit ball, striking out six batters and walking one. Bailey, Boston’s Double-A closer, finished the game with 2 no-hit innings, issuing one base on balls in the 10-0 win.

Viola had just taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning during his final start of the 1992 season for the Red Sox. On Wednesday, September 30, 1992 at the SkyDome against the Toronto Blue Jays, Viola tossed eight innings of no-hit ball before Devon White led off the ninth with an infield hit. Viola settled for a 1-0, one-hit victory.