In
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(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
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
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
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
; 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 318 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 May 10, 2022, by
Reid Detmers
Reid Kristien Detmers (born July 8, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Detmers was born in Nokomis, Illinois and attended Nokomis High School as well as Glenwood ...
of the
Los Angeles Angels against the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
. The most recent combined no-hitter was thrown on November 2, 2022, by starter
Cristian Javier
Cristian Javier (born March 26, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Javier signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2020. Dur ...
, and
relief pitchers Bryan Abreu
Bryan Enrique Abreu (born April 22, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Abreu signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2013, and made his major league debut ...
,
Rafael Montero and
Ryan Pressly
Thomas Ryan Pressly (born December 15, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins.
Originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ...
of the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
during Game 4 of the
2022 World Series.
The MLB season with the most no-hit games is the season, in which nine no-hitters were pitched.
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
In baseball and softball, an uncaught third strike (sometimes referred to as dropped third strike or non-caught third strike) occurs when the catcher fails to cleanly catch a pitch for the third strike of a plate appearance. In Major League Ba ...
, 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
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
s. 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
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...
in a 3–1 win against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
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
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.''" 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 innings but without allowing any hits do not qualify as no-hitters, as the visiting team has only pitched eight innings.
Frequency
MLB has recognized 318 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
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
,
1991,
2012, and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
.
The longest period between two no-hitters in the modern era is three years and 44 days, between
Bobby Burke
Robert James Burke (January 23, 1907 – February 8, 1971) was a pitcher for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies.
Burke helped the Senators win the 1933 American League Pennant.
In 10 seasons Burke had a 38–46 win–loss recor ...
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
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
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
Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Florida Marlins and has also played for the Detroit ...
'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
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
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
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, Koufax (four),
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
(three),
Bob Feller
Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
(three),
Larry Corcoran (three), and
Justin Verlander (three) have pitched more than two no-hitters. 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
Los Angeles Angels on May 15, 1973, and his last as a
Texas Ranger
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...
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
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
in 1938. 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. 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.
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.
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
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
, defeated the
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
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
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
catcher
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek (; born April 11, 1972), nicknamed Tek, is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He is currently the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded ...
and
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
catcher
Carlos Ruiz. Varitek caught no-hitters for
Hideo Nomo
is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...
,
Derek Lowe,
Clay Buchholz, and
Jon Lester. Varitek also caught a rain-shortened, five-inning unofficial no-hitter for
Devern Hansack on October 1, 2006.
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
Jonathan Robert Papelbon (; born November 23, 1980) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he was an All-Star in four con ...
. Before MLB redefined "no-hitter",
Ray Schalk
Raymond William Schalk (August 12, 1892 – May 19, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox for the majority of his career. Known f ...
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.
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
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
, and the second on April 9, 2021, with the
San Diego Padres.
Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...
and the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
:
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
, Ryan,
Jim Bunning, Nomo, and Randy Johnson. Only five catchers have caught a no-hitter in each league:
Gus Triandos,
Jeff Torborg,
Darrell Porter
Darrell Ray Porter (January 17, 1952 – August 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1971 to 1987 for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Range ...
,
Ron Hassey
Ronald William Hassey (born February 27, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians (1978–1984), Chicago Cubs (1984), New York Yankees (1985–1986 ...
, and most recently,
Drew Butera.
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 game
On Sunday, July 28, 1991, Dennis Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitched the 13th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 at Dodger Stadium. A native of Granada, Nicaragua, Martínez became the firs ...
s. Butera caught a 2011 no-hitter by
Francisco Liriano and a 2014 no-hitter by
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A ...
.
[
]
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
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
, 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
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
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
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
no-hit the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
, 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, 20 times; most recently by the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
(a combined no-hitter using 4 pitchers during Game 4 of the 2022 World Series and a combined no-hitter using 3 pitchers during the 2022 regular season). The only team to throw three straight no-hitters was the Milwaukee Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
, 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 Homer Bailey in 2012 and 2013. All seven instances were with the same team.
The Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
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
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
on April 14, 2021. They then failed to record a hit against the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
' Wade Miley
Wade Allen Miley (born November 13, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Miley in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with t ...
on May 7, 2021. Finally, they were held hitless by Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
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
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
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.
Combined no-hitters
The vast majority of no-hit games are finished by the starting pitcher, but 19 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
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
relieved starter Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, 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
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
recorded the final out in relief of Steve Barber
Stephen David Barber (February 22, 1938 – February 4, 2007) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and six other teams between 1960–74. Barber compiled 121 wins, 1,309 ...
in a 2–1 loss to the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
.
The only combined extra inning no-hitter to date occurred on July 12, 1997. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
pitchers Francisco Córdova (9 innings) and Ricardo Rincón
Ricardo Rincón Espinoza (born April 13, 1970) is a Mexican former professional baseball relief pitcher.
Career
Rincón was a left-handed specialist who spent nearly his entire career as a middle reliever and setup pitcher. In his 11-year caree ...
(1 inning) combined to no-hit the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
, 3–0. Victory was secured with a three-run walk-off home run by pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...
Mark Smith in the bottom of the tenth inning.
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
Peter Daniel Munro (born June 14, 1975) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played with the Toronto Blue Jays (–) and Houston Astros (–). He batted and threw right-handed.
Career
After being selected by the Boston R ...
, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel
Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (born November 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), se ...
, and Billy Wagner combined to hold the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
hitless. Oswalt was removed after one inning due to injury. Munro pitched the most innings, . 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. Lidge, who retired all six hitters he faced over the sixth and seventh innings, earned the victory. On June 8, 2012, the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...
tied this record when Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor
Stephen Michael Pryor (born July 23, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Pryor made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 2012. He won his first game on June 8, 2012, in a combined no-hitter started by Kevin ...
, Lucas Luetge
Lucas Lester Luetge ( born March 24, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees
Career Early career
Lue ...
, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen combined to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
. 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
Michael Atwater Witt (born July 20, 1960) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1981 and 1993, and threw the 11th perfect game in MLB history in 1984.
Amateur career
Prior to ...
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
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...
.
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
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
on September 21, 1970, while pitching for the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
. 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
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...
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
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
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
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
on April 27, 2003, while with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
. 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.
In 2022, Cristian Javier
Cristian Javier (born March 26, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Javier signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2020. Dur ...
started in two combined no-hitters that were both successfully closed out by Ryan Pressly
Thomas Ryan Pressly (born December 15, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins.
Originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ...
. They became the only pitchers to participate in multiple combined no-hitters.
Combined no-hitters are not recognized by Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
.
Opening Day, title-clinching, and postseason no-hitters
The Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...
' Bob Feller
Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
left the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
hitless in the 1940 season opener on April 16, the first official Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...
no-hitter. With the 2020 recognition of certain Negro Leagues as major leagues, Leon Day's no-hitter on May 5, 1946, to open the season for the Newark Eagles
The Newark Eagles were a professional Negro league baseball team which played in the Negro National League from 1936 to 1948. They were owned by Abe and Effa Manley.
History
Formation
The Newark Eagles were formed in 1936 when the Newark Dodg ...
against the Philadelphia Stars should also be recognized.
The Houston Astros' Mike Scott no-hit the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
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
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
which clinched a tie for the American League pennant; the pennant was clinched outright in the doubleheader's second game.
There have been three postseason no-hitters in MLB history: two solo and one combined. On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen
Don James Larsen (August 7, 1929 – January 1, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched from 1953 to 1967 for seven different teams: the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore O ...
of the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
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.) On October 6, 2010, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
, in the first postseason appearance of his career, threw the second no-hitter in postseason history, in Game 1 of the Phillies' NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
against the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. On November 2, 2022, Cristian Javier
Cristian Javier (born March 26, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Javier signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2020. Dur ...
, Bryan Abreu
Bryan Enrique Abreu (born April 22, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Abreu signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2013, and made his major league debut ...
, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly
Thomas Ryan Pressly (born December 15, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins.
Originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ...
of the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
combined to no-hit the Phillies in Game 4 of that year's World Series.
Rookie no-hitters
Twenty-five 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.
Bumpus Jones
Charles Leander "Bumpus" Jones (January 1, 1870 – June 25, 1938) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants.
Early life
He was born in Cedarville, Ohio. Newspaper accou ...
of the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
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
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...
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. 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
William Louis Veeck Jr. ( ; February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was an American Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis B ...
, 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
Charles Augustus "Kid" Nichols (September 14, 1869 – April 11, 1953) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies from 1890 to 1906. A switch hitter who ...
, Lefty Grove, Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, ...
, Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...
, Don Sutton, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...
and Tom Glavine—who failed to pitch a no-hitter.
On August 11, 1991, Wilson Álvarez
Wilson Eduardo Álvarez Fuenmayor (born March 24, 1970) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher. During a thirteen-year baseball career, he pitched for the Texas Rangers, ...
of the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
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
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
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
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
.
Charlie Robertson
Charles Culbertson Robertson (January 31, 1896 – August 23, 1984) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher, and is best remembered for throwing a perfect game in 1922. He was the last surv ...
of the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
pitched a perfect game against the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
on April 30, 1922, in his fourth career start and fifth career appearance.
Nine-inning no-hitters in a losing effort
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
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
no-hitter in nine innings when he was beaten, 1–0, by the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. The winning run was scored by Pete Rose in the top of the ninth inning via an error, groundout, and another error.
On April 30, 1967, Steve Barber
Stephen David Barber (February 22, 1938 – February 4, 2007) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and six other teams between 1960–74. Barber compiled 121 wins, 1,309 ...
and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2–1 to the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
.
On July 1, 1990, Andy Hawkins
Melton Andrew Hawkins (born January 21, 1960) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Hawkins spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Diego Padres, and also played for the New York Yankees an ...
of the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
pitched an eight-inning no-hitter (the Yankees were the away team) against the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
and lost the game 4–0 after an eighth inning which saw three errors. The four runs that the White Sox scored are the most by any team in a game in which they had no hits. 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
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
faced the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
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
Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th ove ...
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
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
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
In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d):
"Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
. However, since the Angels only pitched eight innings, this game is once again not recognized as an official no-hitter.
On May 15, 2022, Cincinnati Reds pitchers Hunter Greene and Art Warren also combined to pitch an eight inning no-hit loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only run of the game was scored when Pirates shortstop Rodolfo Castro
Rodolfo Castro (born May 21, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Career Minor league career
Castro signe ...
scored on a groundout. The game is again not recognized as an official no-hitter, due to only 8 innings of no-hit play.
Shortened no-hitters
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.
In 2020 and 2021, MLB used 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
Peter Anderson Fairbanks (born December 16, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Fairbanks was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB draft. He debuted ...
of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
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 eight 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 five times in MLB history. Silver King (1890), Andy Hawkins
Melton Andrew Hawkins (born January 21, 1960) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Hawkins spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Diego Padres, and also played for the New York Yankees an ...
(1990), and Matt Young (1992) pitched complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s without allowing a hit, but pitched only eight innings as the losing pitcher from the visiting team, and thus are not credited with a no-hitter. In 2008, Jered Weaver
Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th ove ...
and José Arredondo combined to throw eight no hit innings, and in 2022, Hunter Greene and Art Warren also combined to throw eight no-hit innings, while losing the game 1–0.
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.
On May 2, 1917, a game between the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
and the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
reached the end of nine innings in a hitless scoreless tie, 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
Thirteen or 13 may refer to:
* 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14
* One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013
Music
* 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band
Albums
* ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013
* ...
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
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
pitched a remarkable twelve perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
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
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in ...
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.
On August 23, 2017, in a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
and the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
, 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. 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.
On April 23, 2022, the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
threw a combined no-hitter against the Red Sox that was broken up in the tenth inning. J. P. Feyereisen
Jonathon Paul Feyereisen (born February 7, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 and has also played for the Tampa B ...
, Javy Guerra, Jeffrey Springs
Jeffrey Scott Springs (born September 20, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.
Career
Springs attended South Poi ...
, Jason Adam, Ryan Thompson, and Andrew Kittredge
Andrew Michael Kittredge (born March 17, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Amateur career
Kittredge attended Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington. He was drafted out of ...
threw nine hitless frames before Matt Wisler surrendered a triple to Boston's Bobby Dalbec, which scored the extra-innings runner on second base. The Rays would go on to walk-off the game in the bottom of the inning with a Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin James Kiermaier (; born April 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013 to 2022.
Kiermaier was part of ama ...
home run; Wisler was credited with the win.
Time between franchise no-hitters
All 30 active teams in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
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
Globe Life Field is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. It is located just south of Choctaw Stadium, the Rangers' former home ballpark.
History Background
On M ...
on April 9, 2021, 52 years after the team's debut in 1969. The closest attempt by a single pitcher prior to 2021 was against the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
on July 18, 1972: Steve Arlin
Steven Ralph Arlin (September 25, 1945 – August 17, 2016) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians for six seasons.
College star
Born in Seattle, Arlin was a collegiate star at ...
came within one out of a no-hitter before Denny Doyle broke up his bid with a single. On July 9, 2011, five Padres pitchers combined for innings of no-hit pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
before Juan Uribe hit a double, which was followed by a Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas (born February 9, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Chic ...
single that allowed the Dodgers to score to win the game, 1–0.
The Cleveland Guardians 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
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
, 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.
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. The franchise has four previous no-hitters in its history as the Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in ...
, 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
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
, 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.
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
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
, who succeeded in getting at least one hit in every game following Sandy Koufax's perfect game
Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a perfect game in the National League against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, September 9, 1965. The game was not televised.
Koufax, by retiring 27 consecutive batters without a ...
against them on September 9, 1965, until they were no-hit by Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
on July 25, 2015, a period of (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
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
, who had a gap of 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, after .
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 . Among AL teams, the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
hold the longest such streak: May 15, 1973 to May 19, 2008, a period of .
The longest current streak is held by the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
, last held hitless on July 13, 1991 ( ago) via a combined no-hitter by four Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
pitchers.
No-hitters and ballparks
Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
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 three recently built fields where no-hitters have not yet been thrown, Busch Stadium, Truist Park
Truist Park (originally SunTrust Park) is a baseball stadium in the Atlanta metropolitan area, approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta in the unincorporated community of Cumberland, in Cobb County, Georgia. Opened in 2 ...
, and Target Field
Target Field is a baseball stadium in the historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hosted the 2014 Major Leagu ...
. 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
is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...
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
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, has hosted two no-hitters, but only one involved its home team. Both no-hitters were thrown by the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
—Alec Mills
Alec Thomas Mills (born November 30, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. The Kansas City Royals selected Mills in the 22nd round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He previously played for the Kansas Ci ...
threw a no-hitter on September 13, 2020, against the Brewers; and Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
pitched one on September 14, 2008, against the "home" Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
in a game displaced by Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
.
Nippon Professional Baseball
There have been 66 no-hitters in Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
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
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
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.
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
The 1927 Colored World Series was the championship tournament for the 1927 season of Negro league baseball. It was the fourth overall Series played. It matched the Chicago American Giants, champions of the Negro National League (1920–1931) and t ...
.
Four pitchers threw two no-hitters: Bill Gatewood, Phil Cockrell, Jesse Winters, and Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...
; 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
The Newark Eagles were a professional Negro league baseball team which played in the Negro National League from 1936 to 1948. They were owned by Abe and Effa Manley.
History
Formation
The Newark Eagles were formed in 1936 when the Newark Dodg ...
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
The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" ...
. 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
Don James Larsen (August 7, 1929 – January 1, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched from 1953 to 1967 for seven different teams: the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore O ...
30 years later.
In December 2020, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
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.
International competition
In the 2006 World Baseball Classic
The 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 to 20 in stadiums that are in and around Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puert ...
, Shairon Martis
Shairon Benjamin Martis (born March 30, 1987) is a Dutch-Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for L&D Amsterdam of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse. He has previously pitched for the Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. ...
pitched a no-hitter for the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
against Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
, however it was only for seven innings due to the mercy rule.
Other Notable No-Hitters
Considered to be one of the greatest amateur pitchers in Ontario in the 1950s and 60s, southpaw Jack Roberts pitched two consecutive no-hitters for the Campbellville Merchants – a team with a .771 winning percentage – in an Ontario Baseball Association Intermediate C round-robin final in 1966.
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). 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
Solomon Joseph Hemus (April 17, 1923 – October 2, 2017) was an American professional baseball infielder, manager, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. Hemus is one of a se ...
, 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." Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
, in an interview for Ken Burns' 1994 ''Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
'' documentary series, related that Don Larsen
Don James Larsen (August 7, 1929 – January 1, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched from 1953 to 1967 for seven different teams: the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore O ...
, 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
Maury Allen (born Maurice Allen Rosenberg; May 2, 1932 – October 3, 2010) was a Russian-American sportswriter, actor, and columnist for the ''New York Post'' and the ''Journal-News''. He was also a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Allen wrote ...
, Brandt told Belinsky, "Nice game, Bo, but it's over. I'm leading off with a bunt single." 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!" 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.[Buckley Jr., James (2002). ''Perfect: The Inside Story of Baseball's Seventeen Perfect Games'' (Triumph Books). , p. vi]
See also
*Lists of no-hitters
The following are lists of no-hitters in baseball:
Major leagues
* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
** List of Major League Baseball perfect games
** List of Arizona Diamondbacks no-hitters
** List of Atlanta Braves no-hitters
** List of B ...
References
External links
Chronological list of no-hitters
at Retrosheet
American League no-hitters
National League no-hitters
List
at MLB.com. Does not include defunct leagues.
{{DEFAULTSORT:No-Hitter
Baseball pitching
Baseball terminology
Sports accomplishments