Historical night for Giants Rookie

They don't call him Hesto Presto for nothing - So far in 2015, Giants rookie pitcher Chris Heston has been hit or miss. Tonight, he was all miss for the opposition. In only his 13th career start, the 27-year old would pitch his way into the history books with a dominant performance against the New York Mets. With injuries to pitchers Matt Cain and Jake Peavy prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Giants were left with a hole in their pitching rotation and question marks as to who would fill the void. With only 5.1 career innings pitched under his belt entering the season, the Giants went with Heston to solve their pitching woes for the time being. Heston was given the opportunity and has simply ran with it ever since.  

After a stellar month of April, Bruce Bochy and company appeared to have made the perfect decision. But an up and down month of May caused many to wonder if Heston's star had begun to fade. Prior to Tuesday's game, Heston had allowed 16 earned runs in his last 18 innings pitched as his ERA on the year spiked to 4.29. With all that in his rear-view, Heston came out guns blazing at Citi Field as the Giants looked to improve to their NL-best 17th win on the road this season. Though they would end up winning the game, 5-0, it was Heston who stole the show as he twirled the 17th no-hitter in Giants franchise history. One way to describe Heston's feat -- pure dominance. Just how on was Heston you ask? Of the 27 outs recorded, only two came through he air and left the infield as Heston threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the batters he faced and surrendered only four three-ball counts as he tallied 11 strikeouts and didn't allow a single walk. Heston's only blemish would come in the hit batsman department as he allowed only three men to reach base, all of which were hit by a pitch including back-to-back batters in the fourth inning. The last of which to leadoff the ninth.

He would follow that up by striking out the side in the ninth as all three batters were caught looking, the first time a no-hitter had ended in three consecutive strikeouts since Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers did it back in the 1960's, only Koufax's were of the swinging variety. After recording the final out, catcher Buster Posey met Heston halfway and had a big hug waiting for his pitcher. Heston needed only 110-pitches in the feat and became the first rookie to toss a no-hitter since Boston's Clay Buccholtz in 2007. Of the 17 no-no's in Giants franchise history, only two others were thrown by rookies as Christy Mathewson (1901) and Jeff Tesreau (1912) accomplished the others. Heston's bid for history made it four consecutive seasons in which a Giants pitcher has threw a no-hitter with Tim Lincecum accomplishing the feat in each of the past two seasons and Matt Cain doing so back in 2012 when he completed a perfect game. The Giants join only the archrival Dodgers to have accomplished four consecutive seasons with a no-hitter as Koufax repeated the feat from 1962 to 1965. Something Heston can say he did that Koufax can't, however, is that he became the first pitcher since 1914 to have two of his first 15 career starts be complete games with at least 10 K's and no more than two hits allowed. 

Just how good of a day was it for Heston? He also helped his own cause in the batters box, collecting two hits and driving in the first two runs of his career. With the win, Heston improved to 6-4 on the year and saw his ERA dip under four as it currently sits at a respectable 3.77. While Heston's improbable journey continues, here's to hoping those ugly outings that usually follow up the good ones are a thing of the past. Congratulations, Heston & Go Giants! 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Mets capture first No-Hitter thanks to Johan

June 1, 2012 will forever be remembered in New York Mets lore as the day the franchise was finally treated to their first no-hitter some 50 seasons after bringing baseball to the borough of Queens. And though it took them 8,020 games to finally get one, the Mets organization and their fans wouldn't have it any other way. After witnessing Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver flirt with a no-hitter on numerous occasions during his 12-year tenure with the ball club only to see him accomplish the feat in his second season with the Cincinnati Reds, the Mets can finally say they have their own to celebrate.

Coming into Spring Training, one of the more frequently asked questions in Mets camp was whether or not starting pitcher Johan Santana would be able to pitch like the Johan Santana of old, much less return to a big league mound. A 4-time All-Star and 2-time Cy Young Award winner, Santana was sidelined the entire 2011 season while recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent in September of 2010. Off to a stellar start to begin his 2012 campaign, what the Venezuelan born pitcher would achieve on a brisk Friday night in Flushing, New York against the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals was something nobody saw coming, not to mention something Mets fans never thought they'd experience. After tossing a complete-game shutout just six days earlier, Santana would give Mets fans something they've been waiting 51 seasons for -- a no-hitter.

Prior to Friday's game, Mets skipper Terry Collins had a pitch limit of 110 in mind for his 33-year old recovering hurler, but given the circumstances, Johan returning to the mound despite exceeding that number with a chance to log the first no-no in Mets franchise history was just as important as it was dangerous. Already with 122 pitches thrown heading into the 9th inning, it would take him a career-high 134 pitches before getting David Freese to strikeout swinging for the final out of the game to seal the 8-0 victory and the Mets first ever no-hitter. Though Santana baffled eight Cardinal hitters by way of the strikeout against five walks, he would need a bit of help from his defense. Like almost every no-hitter there's at least one jaw-dropping catch or play made that keeps the no-no in tact. Johan's gem was no different as an amazing catch by left fielder Mike Baxter would preserve Santana's no-hit bid. On pitch no. 101 in the seventh, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina would send an 0-0 offering deep into left-field and into the direction of Baxter who on his horse made a spectacular catch on the warning track just before crashing into the wall shoulder and head first, causing him to be helped off the field as he was unable to finish the game with a left shoulder contusion.

Unfortunately there's gonna be those who think the no-hitter deserves an asterisk and is tainted by the controversial call on a hit towards the third base line that was called foul by third-base umpire Adrian Johnson. Upon further review it appeared that the ball struck off the bat of former Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran kicked up some chalk just behind third base, causing Cardinals skipper Mike Matheney to come out from the visiting dugout to argue the call to no avail. Beltran would ground out sharply to third on the very next pitch, helping Santana move one batter closer to making history. Of the 27,089 fans in attendance at Citi Field, many will be telling their grand kids one day that they were there to witness Johan make history without even daring to mention the controversy that almost robbed Mets fans of finally being able to say, "we've got one."

How fitting that the Mets would get their first no-hitter in franchise history on the year in which they're celebrating 50 seasons of Mets baseball. What makes Santana's no-hitter that much more remarkable is that the Mets haven't been a franchise starving of talented pitching. In fact pitching is probably what the franchise has been best remembered for. With such pitching greats as Nolan Ryan, Doc Gooden, Tom Seaver, Ron Darling, Warren Spahan, Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez among others, it's amazing the Mets have gone this long without ever logging a no-hitter. Santana's gem leaves the San Diego Padres as the only franchise without a no-hitter. Is it too soon for Mets fans to be asking when they'll be treated to their first perfect game?


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

The New York Mess!

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the New York Mets, they did. A team that's been plagued with injuries all season long continues to struggle, as more names are added to the Disabled List. Injuries have become a daily thing for the ball club, and things aren't going to get much easier with the recent injury of David Wright being added into the mix.

Yesterday in a game against the San Francisco Giants, David Wright was hit in the head with a Matt Cain fastball. Luckily Wright had on a helmet, but the damage was still done as Wright lied motionless for a few minutes while players and trainers helped him to his feet and off the field. Wright is currently labeled as Day-to-day, but it seems his return to the team wouldn't help out too much considering how poorly the has performed all season long without many of their key players. Coming into this season, I had the Mets winning both the NL East, and the World Series. Now it seems they won't even make it to the playoffs.

The team has had just as much misfortune, as they've had injured players. & A little over a week ago, Luis Castillo who was walking back to the dugout after grounding out, ended up slipping on his way down the stairs and twisted his ankle. However he returned to the field after only a few days. Here are a few names that are currently on the Mets Disabled List: Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, John Maine, Fernando Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Jonathon Niese, Fernando Nieve, J.J. Putz, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner. Which brings me to my next question, who's next to be added onto the Mets Disabled List....The team's mascot, Mr. Met?