Beginner's Luck: Arizona's Gilbert twirls unlikely No-No

In what's been a dismal season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, there hasn't been a whole lot to cheer for in the desert this year. Sitting in the cellar of the National League Western Division at 38-81 and 38.5 games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants, positivity and all around good vibes have been at a minimum for the D-Backs who own the worst record in all of baseball. However, the was one magical moment that took place on Saturday with the snakes in the limelight as 27-year old pitcher Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter in his first career big league start. With his family in attendance at Arizona's Chase Field, Gilbert blanked the high-powered San Diego Padres, albeit without their best player in Fernando Tatis Jr., to become the fourth pitcher in Major League history to toss a no-no in his first career start and the first since 1953. Making things even more improbable, Gilbert who had bounced around with the Phillies before being traded to the Dodgers and ultimately released and picked up by Arizona, had never logged a complete-game at any level in his professional baseball career. That was until his historic night. 

Having just made his Major League debut nine days earlier in a relief appearance against San Francisco in which Gilbert gave up a hit and a walk while striking out one in 2/3 innings pitched, followed by two shutout frames (1 hit, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts) against San Diego two days later, the D-Backs' southpaw has lived up to the adage, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." Or in this case one team's trash is another team's treasure, even if only for this one spectacular history-making evening. After all, it's stories like this that make us fall in love with baseball time and time again. Before being mobbed by his teammates as out No. 27 was caught in center-field on a line-drive off the bat of Tommy Pham, Gilbert walked three batters and struck out five Padre hitters on 102-pitches (64 strikes). And while he didn't have the type of stuff that was blowing guys away as he barely sniffed the low-90's with his fastball, he did enough to throw guys off and keep the ball in the park. Something that's easier said than done at Arizona's hitter-friendly ballpark. Oddly enough, Joe Musgrove who pitched the first no-hitter of 2021 back on April 9 against the Texas Rangers, was the opposing pitcher on Saturday. 

The first Diamondbacks no-hitter since Edwin Jackson's no-no in 2010 and just the third in D-Backs franchise history (Hall of Famer Randy Johnson the other), unless you count Madison Bumgarner's 7 no-hit frames in the second game of a 7-inning doubleheader back on April 25, it's the eighth no-hitter tossed this season which ties the record for the most in a single season set back in 1884. Quite the story and an unforgettable night for a guy who even if we never hear from him again, etched his name into the record books and will forever have a story to tell, especially considering he was working with his father as an electrician less than a year ago following the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Learning the trade just in case he never received that call to the bigs. 

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Angels Honor Skaggs with Epic No-Hitter

Something amazing happened in Friday's game between the hosting Los Angeles Angels and the visiting Seattle Mariners. On the night the Angels honored the late Tyler Skaggs who was found dead in his hotel room on July 1 during the team's recent road trip in Texas against the Rangers, the Halos did something fit for a movie script. In the team's first home game at Angels Stadium since the loss of their teammate, two Angels pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter just hours before what would've been Skaggs' 28th birthday. And given the circumstances in what's been an emotional two weeks for the club and community, it will go down as one of the most made-for-Hollywood storybook endings to occur on a baseball diamond. Factor in some of the stats in the game and you might be left with goosebumps.

With fans creating a makeshift shrine outside of the ballpark with flowers and signs to remember the 27 year old California native, inside the ballpark the team unveiled a mural in left-center field featuring an image of Skaggs delivering a pitch alongside his name and jersey No. 45. Following a video tribute and an emotional 45-seconds of silence in memory of Skaggs, his mother Debbie was called on to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as she delivered a perfect strike that helped set the tone for what would ultimately be a historic and memorable night that both Angels and baseball fans alike will one day be sure to tell their grand kids about. With Halos manager Brad Ausmus electing to go with an opener to begin the game, Taylor Cole who threw the first two innings before handing the ball off to Felix Pena for the final seven frames on a mound that was painted with Skaggs' number. With the entire team donning Skaggs' name and jersey No. 45 on the back of their uniforms to pay tribute to their fallen teammate, a decision green-lighted by MLB, the two pitchers logged eight combined strikeouts and the only blemish in their way of tossing a perfect game was a fifth inning walk by Omar Narvaez who proved to be the lone base runner on the night for Seattle.

Before out No. 27 sealed the 11th no-hitter in Angels franchise history, the Halos wasted little time pouncing on their opponent as they jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first inning alone. And leading the charge was none other than 2-time MVP Mike Trout who was a close friend of the late pitcher and was drafted by the Angels alongside Skaggs in the 2009 MLB Draft. Now for the eerie part. During their first inning onslaught, Trout who had a monster night finishing 3-for-4 with 6 RBI's, launched a 2-run home run that measured 454-feet, eerily similar to Skaggs' uniform number. Those 7 runs in the first inning would jump start a 13-run night for the Halo offense and coincidentally, Skaggs was born on 7-13-91. Still not creeped out yet? Try this; Skaggs was born on the same day that marked the last time a combined no-hitter was recorded in the state of California when the Baltimore Orioles tossed one against the Oakland A's. Facing just one batter more than the 27-batter minimum, Angels pitching faced 28 batters just less than two hours before what would've been Skaggs' 28th birthday. And finally, Friday's game marked the 11th no-hitter in Angels franchise history and oddly enough, Skaggs' old Santa Monica High School jersey number was No. 11, a jersey Tyler's brother Garrett was seen wearing during the pregame ceremony.

But perhaps the most special event that took place on Friday night was how the team honored their fallen member one last time once the game concluded. After sharing a much deserved celebration following the final out with many players pointing towards the sky, the team gave one final salute to Skaggs as each player removed their No. 45 jersey and placed it on the pitchers mound. With plans to keep his clubhouse locker in tact both at home and on the road for the remainder of the season, the Angels couldn't have drawn up a better way to bid Skaggs a farewell. The Angels are no stranger to mid-season tragedies as 2019 marks the 10-year anniversary after losing Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart who was tragically killed in a car accident just hours after pitching in a game on April 9, 2009. And as hard as these type of things are for both the team and the organization, the Angels as a whole did a fabulous job at paying tribute to one of their very own, proving once again that baseball is more than just a game.

Noteworthy: Friday's no-hitter was the Angels' first since Jared Weaver twirled one against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, 2012 and marked the fourth time the Mariners have been no-hit in their franchise history. The 13-0 win is tied for the largest run-differential in an AL no-hitter (13 runs) since at least 1908 (1938 Yankees vs Cleveland).

Rest in Peace, Tyler Skaggs (July 13, 1991 - July 1, 2019)

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Manaea cools off red-hot Red Sox with first No-Hitter of 2018

Just three weeks into baseball's 2018 regular season schedule and we've already been treated us to our first no-hitter of the young MLB season. Last night in Oakland, California, Sean Manaea of the Oakland Athletics made history by twirling a no-hitter against the hottest team in all of baseball -- the Boston Red Sox, who entered the game with an MLB-best record of 17-2 and the highest-scoring offense in the league. As if no-hitters weren't already impressive, Manaea managed to throw his against a team that just days earlier became only the seventh ball club in the modern era (since 1900) to win at least 16 of their first 18 games to start a season. In fact, Boston's .895 winning percentage made them the best team in Major League history in a minimum of five games to be no-hit.

Having never logged a single complete-game in his third Major League season, the 26-year old Manaea who's been locked in this season to the tune of a 1.23 ERA thru 5 starts, made sure his first complete game was one for the record books. While the no-no snapped Boston's 8-game win-streak, the longest winning-streak snapped by a no-hitter in the Live-Ball era (since 1920), it snapped an even more impressive streak of 3,987 consecutive games without being no-hit. To find the last no-hitter recorded against the Red Sox, you'd have to go back to April 22, 1993 when Chris Bosio of the Seattle Mariners kept Boston hit-less at the Kingdome. Coincidentally, only the A's have gone longer without being no-hit at 4,242 consecutive games following Saturday.

With 227 no-hitters recorded in the Majors since 1908, Manaea's is just the 54th recorded by a left-hander during that span and the first since Cole Hamels of the Phillies did so against the Cubs on July 25, 2015, and the first Oakland A's pitcher to record a no-no since Dallas Braden's perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Mother's Day in 2010. As for the last no-hitter of any kind, Edinson Volquez of the Marlins was the last to accomplish the feat, no-hitting the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 3, 2017. Manaea's no-hitter is the 12th in A's franchise history and seventh since the team moved to Oakland in 1968. Though he walked two batters including the first batter of the game, Manaea recorded 10 K's in the outing to tie a career-high and stands behind only Catfish Hunter (11) and Dave Stewart (12) for the most strikeouts recorded by an Oakland Athletic during a no-hitter.

A pair of close plays nearly derailed Manaea's historic performance in consecutive innings in the 5th and 6th, but an error and a reversed call would preserve the no-no. With 2-outs in the 5th inning, A's shortstop Marcus Semien would commit an error on a fly-ball he would get under and eventually bobble which allowed Sandy Leone to get on base. Unaware that the play was ruled an error and not a hit, Manaea assumed it was ruled a hit and didn't realize until the 8th inning that his no-hitter was still in tact. But he and the A's would catch another break just an inning later in the 6th, when Andrew Benintendi hit a dribbler down the first base line that first baseman Matt Olson scooped up and attempted to put a tag on Benintendi who ran out of the baseline to elude the tag. After initially being called safe at first, the umpires would gather together for a meeting at the request of A's manager Bob Melvin, where the umpiring crew determined that the runner indeed ran out of the baseline and therefore was called out, much to the disappointment of Benintendi who had thought he bailed his team out with their first hit of the night. From there on, Manaea seemed almost destined to etch his name into the record books, and nine outs later he would do just that.

Semien would more than make up for his 5th inning error by scoring all three of Oakland's only runs, including a solo home run in the bottom of the 5th, providing more than enough offense in the Athletics' 3-0 victory. Since trading away last year's ace Sonny Gray at the trade deadline a year ago to the New York Yankees, Manaea, the former first round pick of the Kansas City Royals appears to be pitching his way to be the next man fit for the job as the A's Opening Day starter -- Kendall Graveman, has been shelled in all five of his starts this season, giving up 4 runs or more in all five outings and currently boasting an ERA of 10.07. Having already made history this season and appearing to find his groove, Manaea will be one of those guys worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses as the A's who currently sit even at 11-11 on the year, look to find their next go-to man on the mound. A pretty cool moment came after the game when Manaea was interviewed on the field by Dallas Braden who last threw a no-no for the A's before Manaea's magical night, before a few of his teammates crashed the party with a Gatorade bath, pie to the face and topped off with a shower of bubblegum, leaving Braden ducking for cover.


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Arrieta's Double-Shot of No

Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta is on top of the baseball world. As if hurling a no-hitter last season just 10 starts ago and winning the NL Cy Young Award wasn't enough, the ace of Chicago's staff has already began putting together an even more impressive encore with a dazzling start to the 2016 season. On the road in Cincinnati to face the Reds, Arrieta tossed his second career no-hitter and just the 15th no-hitter in the 141 year history of the Cubs franchise. While the Cubbies ignited the scoreboard with five home runs en route to a 16-0 shellacking of their opponent, the second-largest margin of victory in a no-no, it would be all about the reigning Cy Young Award winner who has been on quite the journey since being traded to the Cubs just three seasons ago where he's evolved into one of the game's best pitchers.

It's hard to believe the last few seasons Arrieta has had considering he was demoted to the Minor Leagues by the Baltimore Orioles back in 2013 after compiling an ERA of 6.63 in four starts which eventually led to the O's parting ways with their struggling starter. It's safe to say Arrieta has turned it around since then as he's now recorded 24 consecutive quality starts, riding an ERA of 0.86 in those 24 games. To put Arrieta's recent dominance into perspective, he's given up only seven earned runs over his last 119 1/3 innings pitched. And interestingly enough, both of Arrieta's no-no's have come on the road, falling one shy of the all-time mark set by Nolan Ryan who tossed three of his seven career no-hitters while a member of the visiting team. Though he did allow four walks in the game and struckout six, Arrieta also out-hit the Reds by collecting a pair of singles on his way to becoming only the third Cub to record a pair of no-no's, joining Ken Holtzman and Larry Corcoran. At the ripe age of 39 years old, it would be the first no-hitter caught by Cubs catcher David Ross who had announced during spring training that the 2016 season would be his last. It would also be the first time Cincinnati would be held hit-less in 45 years.

Not since Philadelphia's Rick Wise no-hit Cincy on June 23, 1971 had the Reds been held without a hit, ending a span of 7,109 games for the longest active streak during the regular season. In his age 30 season, Arrieta who improved to 4-0 on the year with the win and is only the fourth reigning Cy Young winner to toss a no-hitter the following year, has appeared to have learned from those struggles early in his career while a member of the Orioles and has benefited from a change of scenery to quickly help him rise atop the list as one of baseball's best pitchers and on the cusp of reaching elite status if he hasn't already. Favored by many to make it to and win the World Series this year, Chicago is off to a 12-4 start to the season and is out to an early lead in the NL Central division standings. After falling short to the New York Mets in the NLCS a year ago, Joe Maddon's ball club appears poised and hungry for another run at a National League pennant with none other than Arrieta leading the way.


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Dodgers take a Double Scoop of No

For the second time in nine days, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been no-hit. After having a no-hitter thrown against them in a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros on August 21, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly watched from the dugout on Sunday as his club logged the shortest span for a team being no-hit in 92 years when the Cubs repeated the feat. 

The first pitcher to victimize the first-place Dodgers was Mike Fiers who was dealt by the Milwaukee Brewers at the non-waiver trade deadline and acquired by the Houston Astros. Having entered the game seeking his first career complete game, in his third start with his new club, the 30-year old Fiers would achieve so much more by the end of the night. Needing 134-pitches, Fiers got his first complete game and then some, striking out 10 batters and walking 3 while becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-no after being traded that season since Jim Bibby in 1973. It would be the Astros' first no-hitter since a combined no-no in 2003 against the Yankees in New York and first individual no-hitter since the late Darryl Kile stymied the Mets in the old Astrodome in 1993. The masterful outing which earned Fiers AL Player of the Week honors, was the 11th no-hitter in franchise history and first in the 16-year history of Houston's Minute Maid Park.

In what's been a remarkable season for the Astros who virtually opened the season in first place in the AL West and haven't looked back, Fiers' performance added to the excitement as Houston tries to hang onto its playoff spot with baseball entering its last full calendar month of the regular season. 

On Sunday, however, the Dodgers fell victim to a whole different animal in Cubs righty Jake Arrieta. Unlike Fiers who's had an up and down season spent between two clubs, Arrieta has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball since the All-Star break having logged 14 consecutive quality starts. And in Tinsletown, Arrieta took to the mound and delivered a performance fit for the Oscars. Having dominated the entire month of August, Arrieta showcased his best stuff yet on Sunday, striking out 12 Dodger hitters while allowing only two base runners all evening in the 2-0 victory. A walk and an error by Cubbies shortstop Starlin Castro would be the only blemish on an otherwise perfect night for the Chicago right-hander. For what it's worth, Arrieta, who boasts an ERA of 2.11 on the season, has held the opposition hit-less thru the first five innings in seven of his 18 starts in 2015. But on Sunday, he would go the distance by twirling the sixth no-hitter of the 2015 season and becoming the first Cubs pitcher to toss a no-hitter since Carlos Zambrano who made history by blanking the Astros in a game played at Milwaukee's Miller Park on September 14, 2008.

Heading into the ninth inning needing only three outs, Arrieta went out in style by striking out the side to put the finishing touches on his historic night as he improved to a perfect record of 6-0 in the month of August, while tallying his Major League-leading 17th win of the season which seems like a far cry from the forgetful seasons Arrieta spent with the Baltimore Orioles. And for the first time since 2008 the Chicago Cubs (74-55) are on the cusp of a playoff berth, currently holding the second NL Wild Card spot with a 5.5-game cushion on top of the defending-champion San Francisco Giants. A lot of that has to do with the impressive second half to the season Arrieta has been able to put together. If he can keep it up, don't be surprised if his name's in the final running for the NL Cy Young Award. 


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M's Iwakuma carves up O's with No-No

While Seattle Mariners fans haven't had a whole lot to cheer about this season after heading into 2015 with high hopes following the signing of free agent slugger Nelson Cruz, on Wednesday, 34-year old Hisashi Iwakuma gave them something to celebrate. With the Baltimore Orioles in town, Iwakuma entered the afternoon seeking his first career complete game in the states after recording 48 of them in Japan's Nippon Professional League. He would end up walking off the mound with an even greater accomplishment by pitching his team to victory and tossing a no-hitter in the process.

With the last 12 no-hitters being thrown by pitchers in the National League prior to Wednesday, Iwakuma put an end to that streak by becoming the first American Leaguer to toss a no-no since his Seattle teammate Felix Hernandez who twirled a perfect game back in 2012. Having endured a rough 2015 which saw the Japanese right-hander struggle before serving time on the disabled-list with a strained lat muscle as well as time on the trading block, Iwakuma put all that behind him on this day by returning to form in front of a Safeco Field crowd of more than 25,000 in attendance. Those who were there got to witness not only the fifth no-hitter in Mariners franchise history but only the second Japanese born hurler in Major League history to complete a no-no, joining Hideo Nomo who accomplished the feat twice as both a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and later on with the Boston Red Sox. Iwakuma, who was named to the AL All-Star team in 2013, needed 116-pitches to etch his name into the history books while striking out 7 Oriole hitters and walking 3. 

Iwakuma's masterful performance was the fourth no-hitter this season following no-no's by Chris Heston of the Giants, Max Scherzer of the Nationals and Cole Hamels who threw his as a member of the Phillies before being traded less than a week later to the Rangers. Currently in a contract year and able to hit the free-agent market in the offseason, Iwakuma dug deep into his bag of tricks to remind us of the dominant pitcher who logged an impressive 2.66 ERA over 33 starts in 2013. Whether or not he'll be back on the mound in a Mariners uniform next season as the Seattle ball club remains in fourth place in the AL West at 54-61 overall following the 3-0 victory on Wednesday, Iwakuma definitely helped his stock a bit going forward. 


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Hamels hammers Cubs, Twirls No-Hitter

Prior to Saturday, you'd have to go back some 7,920 games to witness the last no-hitter tossed at Chicago's historic Wrigley Field when Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas twirled one on September 2, 1972. With the Philadelphia Phillies in town, sporting the worst record in all of baseball, the Fightin's threw their best pitcher on the mound in lefty ace Cole Hamels. Granted Hamels was seeking his first win since May 23 and the Cubbies had gone a span of 49 years without being no-hit, the odds of the Philadelphia southpaw delivering a no-no were incredibly stacked against him, as if they aren't to begin with for any pitcher on any given day. And with a nine-game win-less streak under his belt entering Saturday's game, the 3-time All-Star and former World Series MVP made sure that mark would fall short of reaching double-digits.

With trade rumors all we've heard of regarding the Phillies ace over the past few months and even dating back to last season's trade deadline, Hamels' name was finally mentioned in a positive light as he made history by tossing the 13th no-hitter in franchise history and first since a combined no-hitter last season, which coincidentally, Hamels started. But instead of throwing six hit-less innings like he did in last season's combined no-no before handing it off to relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon to finish it off, Hamels was a one-man-show on Saturday. Hamels finished with 13 strikeouts on the afternoon and saw his only blemish come in the form of a pair of walks allowed in Philadelphia's 5-0 win. Though Hamels' gem was the third no-hitter thrown this season behind the Giants' Chris Heston and Washington's Max Scherzer, it's without a doubt the most impressive out of the bunch. For what it's worth, Hamels even out-hit the opposition on Saturday when he laced an 8th inning double, becoming just the fifth pitcher in Major League history with both a solo no-hitter and combined no-no on his resume.

Two individuals who are no stranger to witnessing the no-hitter is Cubs skipper Joe Maddon who has now been on the receiving end of five no-hitters while watching one of his own pitchers throw one, and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz who has caught a few. For Ruiz, Saturday's feat was his fourth no-hitter while behind the plate (all with the Phillies) which sets a new National League record and ties Boston's Jason Varitek for the most no-hitters caught in Major League history. Before Hamels took to the mound on Saturday, the you'd have to turn the calendar all the way back to August 19, 1965 when the Cubbies were last held hit-less, a 49 year drought which is the longest in MLB history for any ball club. And with the MLB trade deadline looming and multiple teams looking to make a move to bolster their pitching staff, the question of whether or not we've seen Hamels' last outing in a Phillies uniform comes into play. If he is dealt, he would become just the third pitcher to ever be traded in the same season in which he notched a no-hitter, and what a farewell it would be to the city of Brotherly Love. 

With the Rangers and Dodgers currently leading the pack in those looking to acquire Hamels' services, the Giants, Yankees and Cubs are also rumored to be in the Cole Hamels sweepstakes. Three years removed from signing what was the second-largest contract ever by a pitcher, $144 Million over six-years, a trade involving Hamels could be the start of a Philadelphia fire sale.


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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! 

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Lincecum Twice as Freaky vs Padres

After turning the ripe age of 30 years old less than two weeks ago, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum treated himself to a late Birthday gift on Wednesday by twirling a game for the books. Having done things in pairs throughout his career, such as hoist a pair of Cy Young Awards and help pitch the Giants to a pair of World Series triumphs, the one better known as "The Freak" has now added a pair of no-hitters to his well decorated resume. Just less than a year after tossing a no-hitter on the road against the division-rival San Diego Padres, Lincecum repeated the feat against the same ball club, this time in front of the home fans for what is already the third no-hitter recorded in the Bigs this season, joining the Dodgers' Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw.

On a day where a sold out crowd of 41,500 packed into the beautiful AT&T Park for a 287th consecutive time, Giants fans witnessed one of their favorites toss the third no-hitter since the club opened the doors to AT&T Park in 2000 before his teammates awarded him with a Gatorade bath. Though Lincecum didn't completely baffle batters with his stuff on the mound, most notably with his fastball which he chose to throw with only 36% of his pitches on Wednesday afternoon, he simply didn't have to as his pinpoint accuracy helped him record outs in a much quicker fashion than we've been used to seeing this year. A six-pitch third inning and a seven-pitch seventh helped Lincecum cruise through the ballgame while needing 35-pitches fewer than he needed in his July 13 no-hitter last season. And on pitch number 113, San Diego's Will Venable hit a ground ball to rookie second baseman Joe Panik who in his fifth career Big League start, helped assist the final out of the ballgame to seal the no-no. The only blemish on the day for Lincecum came with one out in the second inning when he walked Padres third baseman Chase Headley. 

Finishing the game with 6 strikeouts, seven fewer than the 13 punch outs he accumulated in last year's no-hitter, Timmy threw 73 of his 113 pitches for strikes and had all four pitches in his arsenal working for him. After signing a 2-year, $35 Million deal during the offseason to stay with the Giants, which many thought was a bit much for a pitcher who hasn't performed anywhere near the level he did while being named to the NL All-Star team for four consecutive years from 2008-2011, Lincecum became one of only 32 players in MLB history to toss multiple no-hitters. Lincecum also joins an exclusive club of elite pitchers with multiple no-hitters and multiple Cy Young Awards which features Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay and Sandy Koufax. However, Lincecum and Koufax are the only two who can make the claim with a pair of World Series rings under their belt. 

Big Time Timmy Jim is also one of only four active pitchers to hurl multiple no-hitter's, Justin Verlander, Mark Buehrle and Homer Bailey being the others. Lincecum's feat on Wednesday gave the Giants 16 no-hitters in franchise history, and only he and Christy Mathewson have tossed multiple no-no's in a Giants uniform. But of all the no-hitters that have occurred, Lincecum is one of only two players to no-hit the same ball club more than once, joining Addie Joss of the Cleveland Naps who tossed two career no-hitters vs the White Sox.

While his efforts at the plate will more than likely be overshadowed by his performance on the mound, Timmy also went 2-for-3 on the day with a pair of singles and a walk and also scored a pair of runs to support his own cause as the (46-32) Giants pulled out the 4-0 victory to salvage the finale of the three-game set vs the Padres. For a starting pitching staff that has struggled mightily as of late, boasting an ERA of 5.05 in the month of June and has been the centerpiece to blame for the team's 3-11 skid over the last two weeks, Lincecum's masterful outing just might be the shot in the arm the team needs to jump start what began as a blazing start to the season. That start which saw the first place Giants get off to a 9 1/2 game lead in the division, has been reduced to just 3 games by the archrival Dodgers.


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Clayton the Unhittable

Whatever's in the water cooler in the Los Angeles Dodgers' dugout seems to be working for the team's starting pitching staff which has produced the only two no-hitters thus far. After going nearly two decades without a single Dodger no-hitter, the boys in blue have now witnessed a pair of no-no's less than a month apart from one another in 2014. With Josh Beckett tossing the first no-hitter of the 2014 season back in May, the first by a Dodger since Hideo Nomo in 1996, L.A.'s ace Clayton Kershaw now has a no-hitter story to tell of his own. Having already established what appears to be a Hall of Fame worthy resume in just six full seasons and touted as the best pitcher in all of baseball, Kershaw's name will now be etched in the record books after logging his most dominant outing yet. And let's be honest, we all knew he was bound to toss a no-hitter sooner or later.

With the start of Kershaw's 2014 season anything but ideal, serving a stint on the disabled-list for the first time of his career just one start in after being awarded his second Cy Young Award last season and third consecutive ERA title, the 3-time All-Star appears to have put that behind him and has more than made up for his early absence. Having often been compared to Dodger great and fellow southpaw Sandy Kofax, Kershaw now has something else in common with the Dodgers legend now that he's got a no-hitter under his belt. Something Kofax knows plenty about considering he tossed four no-hitters of his own during his days, one of which being a perfect game. Though time will tell whether the 26-year old Kershaw can come even remotely close to Kofax's four no-hitters, his no-no would've been a perfect game had it not been for an error in the seventh inning by Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez who's errant throw to first base allowed the only base runner in the game for the Rockies.

To put into perspective just how dominant Kershaw's outing really was on Wednesday night, he struck out a career-high 15 batters and allowed only one 3-ball count while needing only 107-pitches (80 for strikes) as the Dodgers defeated Colorado easily by a final score of 8-0. Kershaw improved to 7-2 on the year while bumping his ERA down to 2.52 and more importantly helped L.A. close the gap on the division-leading Giants who's 9.5 game lead just two weeks ago has shrunk to just four games. Despite a disappointing outing in the series clinching game 6 of the NLCS last season which saw Kershaw surrender seven earned runs to the St. Louis Cardinals who went on to the World Series, the Dodgers agreed to a record-setting contract extension with their ace during the offseason, signing him to a 7-year, $215 Million deal, the richest contract ever signed by a pitcher. And so far, Kershaw's been worth every dime.


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Dodgers' Beckett no-hits Phillies

Baseball saw its first no-hitter of the 2014 season on Sunday when Josh Beckett of the Los Angeles Dodgers worked his magic to blank the Philadelphia Phillies in their own home. With such pitching stars as Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, both of whom who have hoisted Cy Young Awards during their careers as well as former All-Star Dan Haren and Korean sensation Hyun-Jin Ryu, it was the eldest of the bunch who did something neither of his teammates had accomplished before. Needing 128-pitches, 80 of which were for strikes, the 34-year old Beckett became the 24th Dodger in franchise history to toss a no-no (11th since the club moved to L.A.) and the first since Hideo Nomo no-hit the Colorado Rockies on September 17, 1996.

Beckett, a 3-time All-Star himself and a 2-time World Series champion, has had his fair share of ups and downs over the last few seasons but seems to have found his rhythm so far in 2014. Sporting a 2.43 ERA in 9 starts this year, Beckett saw his best outing yet on Sunday, striking out six and allowing three walks without yielding a single hit, which earned him NL Player of the Week honors. But the road Beckett has taken over the last year is almost as remarkable as the masterful performance he had on Memorial Day weekend. After struggling early in the season last year and eventually serving a stint on the disabled list where he began experiencing tingling in his fingers and numbing of his hands, it was learned that Beckett had been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Fearing that he wouldn't be able to pitch again, Beckett underwent season-ending surgery in July and had a rib removed to relieve pressure on his nerves. Several outings into the new season and I think it's safe to say Beckett is healthy again.

Though the no-hitter was a first for Beckett who had made 320 starts prior to Sunday's 6-0 win over the Phillies, the man behind the dish who caught Beckett, had some experience however. Dodgers catcher Drew Butera added a second no-hitter to his resume on Sunday after catching one from Francisco Liriano back in 2011 while with the Minnesota Twins. Beckett's gem was nearly one-upped the following day when his fellow teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu took a perfect game into the 8th inning on Monday before Todd Frazier of the Reds hit a double to lead off the inning. The two combined for 17 straight no-hit innings, nearly becoming the first pair of teammates to toss no-hitters on back to back outings. L.A.'s streak of 17 hit-less innings is one that's only been matched one time in the last 30+ years when the Dodgers' cross-town rival Los Angeles Angels did it in May of 2012 which featured a no-hitter by Jared Weaver. The Dodgers (29-24), winners of their last three, are hoping Beckett's stellar pitching can continue as they look to gain some ground on the division-leading San Francisco Giants who hold a 4.5 game lead in the NL West.


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Yu almost had it

If someone had asked me before the season started who I thought would be the first pitcher to toss a no-hitter this season, without hesitating, I would've said Texas' Yu Darvish. After retiring the first 26 batters he faced last season when pitching against the Houston Astros back on April 2, Texas' ace Yu Darvish watched out no. 27 go right between his legs into center field for a hit, erasing what would've been the 23rd perfect game in MLB history. Despite the disappointment that he had to have felt coming oh so close to making history, there he stood with a smile on his face after flirting with a perfect game. Though he would fail to etch his name into the record books and reach baseball immortality on this night, Darvish, who has more than lived up to the hype since transitioning his game from Japan to the Major League's just two seasons ago, has established himself among the top pitchers in the game today. 

And on Friday night, the Japanese All-Star was once again on top of his game and appeared to be on his way to pitching a game for the ages in Arlington. From the first inning on, Darvish was hitting his target and had several pitches working for him which would spell doom for the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox who would have their work cut out for them. At one point in the game, Darvish hit a streak of six consecutive strikeouts before eventually finishing the game with 12 K's, while retiring the first 20 batters he faced. And then what appeared to be a harmless fly ball to shallow right field off the bat of Big Papi David Ortiz, fell in between second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Alex Rios as both players looked at one another thinking the other one was going to make the catch. Darvish would catch a break, however, as the call would be ruled an error by the official scorer. A rare call given the ball failed to touch either player. Rios would be the one changed with the error, one any teammate would be willing to sacrifice if it meant their pitcher still had a chance at making history. 

Though the error wouldn't break Darvish completely, it would have an effect on how he pitched the rest of the game as he went on to walk two of the next three batters he faced. But even then, the 27-year old hurler still had a no-hit bid in tact. That was until he reached the dreaded ninth inning. With 26 outs recorded and a goose egg in the hit column for the Red Sox, Ortiz came up one last time as the only batter standing in the way of Darvish and his no-hitter. But even with the shift on, playing Ortiz to pull, Big Papi who just innings earlier was the cause of an error that wiped out any chance of a perfect game, snuck a ground ball single in between the second baseman and shortstop on the 126th pitch on the night by Darvish who came just one out shy of a no-hitter for the second time in as many seasons. It would be the final batter of the night for Yu who was pulled by skipper Ron Washington and received a thunderous ovation by the 45,000+ in attendance who stood and applauded Darvish's masterful performance. For the second time after nearly making history, Darvish would be forced to watch another man record that 27th out that he came so close to recording as Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando retired the next batter, sealing Texas' 8-0 win and leaving Darvish still seeking his first complete-game.

Darvish joins hurler Dave Stieb as the only pitchers to have multiple no-hit bids broken up with 2-outs in the ninth inning. Stieb had it happen three times while a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, including twice in back to back starts in 1988. With the season still young and plenty of starts left in the promising career of Yu Darvish, I've got a feeling the third time will be a charm. 


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A Freaky first half of the Season for the Giants

With half of the 2013 MLB season already in the books as teams collect as much rest as possible during the All-Star break in preparation of the dog days of summer that await, the midway point couldn't have come at a better time for the San Francisco Giants. The defending world champs who've won two of the last three World Series titles, have looked like a shadow of their 2012 selves up to this point. Having been bit by the injury bug practically all year long with injuries striking up and down the lineup as well as across the pitching staff, the Giants who are without their spark plug on offense in speedster Angel Pagan, have limped to the halfway mark with a 43-51 record, 6.5 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks. Though the GMen have maintained some success at home until their most recent home stand which saw Bruce Bochy's ballclub uncharacteristically drop 5 of 6 at AT&T Park, their road record of 15-31 is among one of the worst in the National League and has translated to their first sub .500 record at the break in years.

After appearing to hit rock bottom, losing 17 of their last 23 games, the Giants did manage to head into the All-Star break on somewhat of a high-note by taking 3 of 4 on the road against the pesky San Diego Padres. One of the wins being a game that Giants fans my age will be sure to one day tell their grandchildren about. Less than two weeks after being no-hit by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey who tossed his second career no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Giants, Tim Lincecum who received the loss, had the tables turned on him just two starts later. Following their first pair of consecutive road wins in nearly a month, Lincecum would do something that baseball fans knew he was capable of the moment he broke onto the big league scene as a 150 lb. kid that could reach the mid to high 90's with his fastball while his build and features resembled that of a bat boy more than they did a Major League pitcher, resulting in players and fans simply calling him, "The Freak."

Despite his recent struggles, the now 29-year old pitcher in his seventh season would display a performance fit for the record books in vintage Lincecum fashion by tossing the 15th no-hitter in Giants franchise history and the 7th since the team moved out west to San Francisco. Striking out 13 Padres batters, Lincecum's only flaw came in the walk department where he allowed four men to get on base via the base on balls. Timmy also added a hit batsman, but none of that prevented him from making history and completing the first no-hitter in Petco Park history since the stadium opened its doors in 2004. The Padres who've been no stranger to the no-hitter having been no-hit on eight different occasions and as recent as 2009 against pitcher Jonathan Sanchez of these very same Giants, oddly enough have yet to throw a no-hitter of their own and are the only active Major League franchise with that claim.

Lincecum's no-no which was followed up by a bear-hug from his battery-mate Buster Posey who rushed the mound and a Gatorade bath from the rest of his teammates, required the second most pitches in MLB history, falling one pitch shy of Edwin Jackson's mark of 149-pitches on June 25, 2010 when he no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the All-Star break looming, you had to have wondered whether the extra days of rest factored in on Bochy's decision to keep his pitcher in despite the high pitch-count. But given the circumstances of just how rarely a feat of this magnitude occurs and the relationship Bochy has with his former ace who's come close to making history on a number of occasions, the skipper never would've heard the end of it had he elected to pull his starting pitcher in favor of the bullpen. Factoring in all the warm-up pitches, it's likely Lincecum exceeded the 200-pitch mark and is something I'm sure almost every pitcher that's ever stepped foot on a mound would sacrifice if it meant etching their name into the record books with a no-hitter.

Also worth mentioning is the spectacular defense Lincecum had behind him making play after play. None greater than the play outfielder Hunter Pence made in right when coming in hard making a diving catch to rob San Diego's Alexi Amarista of a hit to end the eight inning, preserving the no-hit bid. At that point it seemed that the Giants' right-hander was destined to make history. The no-no is just the most recent accolade to add to the illustrious career of Lincecum who also has a pair of Cy Young Awards on his well decorated resume as well as a pair of World Series rings. Lincecum, a popular topic in trade rumors as of late, has long been in need of a confidence boost since following up a stellar postseason while in the Giants bullpen, with a mediocre 2013 campaign. Bruce Bochy and company hope that this historic performance will do just that as the team tries to right the ship in the second half and get back to their winning ways. But with a rising Dodger squad and a Diamondbacks team that's shown no signs of slowing down expected to be atop the NL West pennant race until the end, the Giants will have their work cut out for them. But whatever you do, don't count Bruce Bochy's club out, because we all know what happened the last two times that took place.


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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?


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Humber, Weaver hurling History

27 Up, 27 Down - Though we're still in the early stages of the 2012 MLB season only a month in, there's been no shortage of excitement as we've seen not one, but two of the game's more remarkable achievements already. Unless you're a fan of the New York Mets who selected him out of Rice University with the third overall pick in the 2004 Draft or one of the teams he bounced around with before eventually landing in the south side of Chicago where he's fit nicely as the no. 5 starter, it's unlikely you've heard the name Philip Humber more than once or twice if at all. At least that was the case until Saturday April 21 when Humber pitched his way into the history books by throwing the 21st perfect game in MLB history. Needing only 96 pitches, Humber struck out 9 batters while tossing the third perfect game in White Sox franchise history (19th no-hitter) by blanking the Seattle Mariners in their own home of Safeco Field by a final score of 4-0.

After a successful college career, Humber was thought to be one of the bright up and coming talents in the game. But some early struggles at the Minor League level coupled with Tommy John surgery would keep him on the shelf for awhile, forcing him to claw and fight his way back onto a big league roster. It wasn't until January of 2011 when Humber was given another chance after being claimed off waivers by Chicago where he found pitching coach Don Cooper. The two gelled immediately and worked on a few adjustments in Humber's pitching mechanics which proved to be vital in the right-hander's turnaround, helping the 29 year old Humber log a 9-9 win-loss record and a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts last season, his first full year in the majors.

Having gone the first eight frames without allowing a single three-ball count, it seemed almost inevitable that Humber would complete the feat without the fear of walking a single batter. However, Humber's bid for a perfecto was threatened not once, but twice in the ninth inning when Mariners outfielder Michael Saunders drew threw consecutive balls before eventually striking out to lead off the inning. It was then that you almost knew the Baseball Gods wouldn't let anything tarnish Humber's gem. And after the pinch-hitting John Jaso flew out to right field, it was all up to Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan who stepped up to the plate and worked the count full. The final pitch would also be the most controversial as Humber challenged Ryan with a slider that bounced into the dirt. Ryan attempted to check his swing, but swung just enough to convince home plate umpire Brian Runge that he went around. Instead of running to first, Ryan argued the call, allowing White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski to throw the ball to first for the final out.

After getting the 27th out, Humber's teammates poured from out of the dugout and raced in from the outfield to mob him on top of the mound where they celebrated his remarkable accomplishment before later receiving a congratulatory phone call from longtime fan of the White Sox, President Barack Obama.

Leave it to Weaver - Since the Angels' busy off-season which not only brought All-Star's Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson aboard, but also a ton of hype along with them, Halo fans have had little to cheer about after getting off to a poor 7-15 start prior to their series with the lowly Minnesota Twins. But a series sweep and a no-hitter could be the shot in the arm Angels manager Mike Socia and company have been looking for in hopes of getting the team back on track. And with Halos ace Jered Weaver on the mound, the team was able to accomplish both. Less than two weeks after 2012 saw its first no-hitter thrown by Chicago's Phil Humber which came in the form of a perfect game, Weaver got in on the fun by twirling a gem of his own.

With 27,288 fans in attendance and on their feet cheering on the Northridge, California native, many of which were friends and family of Weaver's, the 29-year old right-hander made history after getting Twins shorstop Alexi Castilla to fly-out to deep right field for the final out of the ballgame, sealing the no-hitter and romping Minnesota in the process, 9-0. Weaver's line included 9 K's and 1 BB on 121 pitches with his only blemishes coming in the form of a strikeout-passed ball by catcher Chris Iannetta and a 2-out walk in the 7th when Josh Willingham reached base safely. Obviously not as impressive, but dominant nonetheless was the Angels offense who's bats awoken to tie a season-high in runs with 9 and set a season-high in hits with 15. Both contributed to help complete the sweep of the Twins and get the Angels their first three-game winning-streak of the season.

Angels fans are no stranger to the no-no as they've seen 10 Halos accomplish the feat in the ball club's 51-year existence, one of those coming last year from Ervin Santana who tossed a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. Weaver almost joined that club several years ago when he and Angels reliever Jose Arredondo combined to no-hit the cross-town rival Los Angeles Dodgers on the road through 8 innings, but still lost the game, 1-0, preventing him from etching his name into the record books much earlier. With both the hitting and pitching doing their part and finally coming alive it seems, could this be a springboard to get the Angels out of their last place funk and back into the division race? The way the Angels clubhouse celebrated Weaver's no-no, you would've thought they just won game 7 of the World Series, something many analysts and fans of baseball predicted they'd do this season.


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Just what the Doc ordered

Doctober - In spite of being arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball for several years now, Roy Halladay has never made a single Postseason appearance in his illustrious career, due to being stuck in the powerhouse that is the AL East. Although the Toronto Blue Jays put together a few decent teams, none were ever able to surpass the Yankees and Red Sox in the standings during Halladay's tenure. So when it came time, Halladay burst onto the Playoff scene like the future Hall of Famer that he is. Leading up to the fourth straight division tittle for the Philadelphia Phillies, Halladay made his transition to the National League in a huge way by throwing a perfect game against the Florida Marlins in late May. The rest of Halladay's 2010 campaign would be nothing short of magical as he went on to set career highs in wins (21), strikeouts (219), and tied carer highs in complete games (9), and shutouts (4).

However, none of the following would be the highlight of Doc's outstanding season. What would be though, is what Halladay put together in his first ever Postseason outing. With every baseball enthusiast expecting a slight bit of Postseason jitters even from one of the games greats, the 7-time All-Star and former AL Cy Young Award winner proved there would be none of that. The moment he had been awaiting some 12 years in the making, Halladay went on to throw only the second no-hitter in Postseason history. The first of coarse would come some 54 years earlier when New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Not only does Halladay's gem stick out because it was his first ever Postseason outing, but also because it was thrown against the best hitting team in the entire National League. Halladay's only fault during the 4-0 victory, would come with 2-outs in the fifth inning, when he surrendered a walk to the potential NL MVP -- Joey Votto.

When being asked in the clubhouse about Hallday's dominant outing, Votto gave the Doc his props by saying, "It was like swinging at nothing." Votto's teammate and Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera on the other hand, showed some bitterness and believes Halladay benefited from a generous strike-zone and said, "Another umpire and Halladay wouldn't have thrown a game like that." Whether or not the ump played a role in helping Doc make history, Halladay pounded the strike-zone all night long as some 85% of his pitches were for strikes. Game 2, which takes place at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on Friday, will feature another Roy, as Roy Oswalt is slated to take the mound with Cincy aiming to counter with Bronson Arroyo in what looks to be a battle of righties.

And unless someone throws a perfect-game this Postseason, I think it's clear Doc's no-no will be the talk of the season. Now, the only thing missing on Halladay's track record is a World Series ring. And as much as I'd like to see him hoist one before his career is over, I just hope it won't be in a Phillies uniform.

Ubaldo Makes Mile-High Hisotry

Jimenez' No-No - With the NFL Draft and a handful of other more significant sporting events going on such as the NBA & NHL Playoffs, not many fans were glued to their television when a Saturday night game took place in Atlanta between the home team Braves and the visiting Colorado Rockies. But little did we know that a baseball game just two weeks and 11-games into the season would steal all the headlines. At least in my book. A rare feat that was overlooked on April 17th, was the no-hitter thrown by Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez. In a 4-0 win over the Braves, the 26-year old Dominican born right-hander who's entering his fifth season in the bigs, threw nine hit-less innings and collected all 27-outs to become the first player to throw a no-hitter in Rockies franchise history.

Capped off by a career high 128 pitches, Ubaldo managed to reach the century mark on the radar gun 3 times during the game and ended up striking out 7 batters while walking 6. 5 of which coming in the first 4 innings. His biggest transformation was made in the fifth inning when he switched from the windup to the stretch delivery. Backed by 4-runs of offensive support including a 2-out RBI single of his own, Jimenez logged the first no-hitter of the 2010 season, less than 20 games in. Although a no-hitter is a no-hitter, those thrown in April often tend to be more forgettable than those thrown in August or down the stretch and in the midst of a pennant race. Something the Rockies are expected to be in come the final month or so of the 2010 season.

Ubaldo's masterful gem finally put the Rockies on the no-hit map, after the team's first 18 seasons without one. It also couldn't have came at a better time, given the franchise is in need of as much motivation as possible after receiving the unfortunate news of it's team president Keli McGregor passing just days earlier. With the Rockies now off the hook in terms of ball clubs who've been yet to throw a no-hitter, only three teams out of the 30 big league ball clubs remain on the list. The New York Mets who lead the pack entering their 49th season, the San Diego Padres in their 42nd and the Tampa Bay Rays who are still young barely in their 13th season. But it's only a matter of time before another franchise is checked off the list. Question is, who will it be?


Don't call Jimenez' stellar performance a fluke either, as he went on to win his next starts by giving up only 3 runs combined. So far this season Jimenez has won all five of his starts, while posting a jaw dropping 0.79 ERA. All numbers that could make for a great Cy Young race within the NL West alone between San Francisco's Tim Lincecum and Arizona's Dan Haren. Sorry L.A. and San Diego.