Yesterday (May 15, 29022), the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled out an improbably victory – topping the Reds 1-0, without notching a single base-hit. Going into the bottom of the eighth, Reds’ starter Hunter Greene had held the Pirates in check, giving up no hits, walking three and fanning nine. The Reds were also without a run, as Pittsburgh starter Jose Quintana had pitched seven innings, giving up just three hits and one walk (five strikeouts) and reliever Chris Stratton had pitched a one-hit, one-walk scoreless top of the eighth.
The Pirates scored in the bottom of the eighth, without a hit, in an inning that went like this:
- RF Jack Suwinski grounded out to first base unassisted.
- SS Rodolfo Castro walked.
- C Michael Perez walked, Castro going to second base.
Art Warren replaced Hunter Greene, who had tossed 118 pitches, on the mound.
- LF Ben Gamel walked, loading the bases.
- 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes grounded into a fielder’s choice – second to shortstop, as Castro scored and Perez moved to third.
- CF Bryan Reynolds popped out to shortstop to end the inning.
Pirates ‘Reliever Dave Bednar came on to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth and the Pirates had a win without a hit. Note: Because the Reds pitchers hurled just eight innings (the Pirates did not have to bat in the bottom of the ninth), this game does not go down as a no-hitter for the Reds.
Baseball-Reference.com shows just five other instances (since 1901) in which teams have won without the benefit of a single safety. Here they area:
April 23, 1964, Reds 1 – Colt .45’s 0
After eight innings this one was knotted 0-0. Reds’ starter Joe Nuxhall had given up five hits and one walk, while fanning four. The Astros’ Ken Johnson had been truly dominant. Eight no-hit innings with two walks and nine whiffs.
Then, in the top of the ninth, this went down:
- Reds’ 2B Pete Rose bunted in an attempt to both get the lead runner on and break up the no-hitter. Johnson fielded the bunt, but made a bad throw (error) to first, with Rose ending up at second base.
- 3B Chico Ruiz, grounded out, Rose moving up to third.
- CF Vada Pinson was safe on the Astros’ second miscue of the inning, this one by 2B Nellie Fox.
- RF Frank Robinson flied out to left to end the inning.
Nuxhall fanned two in a scoreless ninth, pitching around an error by Reds’ 1B Deron Johnson.
Johnson got credit for a complete-game, no-hitter – and is tagged with a loss. Johnson pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1958-70 … Athletics, Astros, Braves, Yankees, Cubs, Expos), going 91-106, 3.46.
Ken Johnson remains the only MLB pitcher to get saddled with the loss in an official, complete-game no-hitter.
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April 30, 1967, Tiger 2 – Orioles 1
The Tigers were playing in Baltimore and, going into the top of the ninth, Detroit trailed 1-0 with Orioles’ starter Steve Barber having twirled eight no-hit innings (seven walks and three strikeouts). The Tigers’ Earl Wilson had given just one run on two hits and four walks (four strikeouts) over eight frames. The lone Orioles’ run, by the way scored in an inning in which Baltimore did not get a hit – three walks and a Luis Aparicio sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. Barbers’ ninth inning went like this:
- 1B Norm Cash walked, Dick Tracewski brought in to pinch run.
- SS Roy Oyler walked.
- P Earl Wilson, sacrifices (remember those), Tracewski going to third, Oyler to second. Jake Wood brought in to pinch run for Oyler.
- PH Willie Horton popped out to the catcher.
At this point Barber still has a 1-0 lead and a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth.
- With CF Mickey Stanley up, Barber threw a wild pitch, scoring Tracewski and sending Wood to third.
- Stanley walked.
Stu Miller replaces Steve Barber on the mound.
- 3B Don Wert hit a ground ball to SS Aparicio, who threw to second for an inning-ending force. However, 2B Mark Belanger couldn’t handle the throw and the go-ahead run scored on his error. Note: Rookie Belanger (who would go on to win eight Gold Gloves at shortstop in his career) had been brought into the game in the top of the ninth.
- RF Al Kaline grounded out to end the inning.
Fred Gladding replaces Earl Wilson on the mound for Detroit and pitches a 1-2-3 ninth to save the win.
The Orioles record an official combined no-hitter, but also a loss. Steve Barber pitched 15 MLB seasons (1960-74 … Orioles, Yankees, Pilots, Cubs, Braves, Angels, Giants), going 121-106, 3.36. He was a two-time All Star and a 20-game winner in 1963 – 20-13, 2.75 for the Orioles.
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July 1, 1990. White Sox 4 -Yankees 0
Andy Hawkins managed to give up four runs in a complete-game, no-hit outing – but he had a little “help” from his friends. It came in a game played in Chicago and Hawkins’ mound opponent was southpaw Greg Hibbard. After seven frames, the game was knotted at 0-0, and Hawkins had given up no hits, while walking two and fanning three. Hibbard had also tossed seven scoreless innings (four hits, no walks, four whiffs).
Barry Jones came to the mound for the ChiSox in the top of the eighth and held the Yankees without a run. In the bottom of the eighth, the baseball Gods began to “mess with” Hawkins’ game. Here’s how it went:
- White Sox C Ron Karkovice popped out to 2B.
- 2B Scott Fletcher popped out to 2B.
- RF Sammy Sosa reached first on an error by Yankee third baseman Mike Blowers (a bobbled ground ball).
- SS Ozzie Guillen walked on a 3-2 pitch.
- CF Lance Johnson walked on four pitches, loading the bases with two out.
Sacks full, but shutout, no-hitter and the chance of a much-needed win still intact.
- 3B Robin Ventura, hit a playable fly ball to rookie Jim Leyritz in LF. The ball clanked off Leyritz’ glove for an error and all three runners scored (Ventura ended up on second).
- DH Ivan Calderon hit a fly to RF that Jesse Barfield lost in the sun and dropped (another error) enabling the fourth run of the inning to score.
- LF Dan Pasqua popped out to SS to end the inning.
The Yankees went scoreless off reliever Scott Radinsky in the top of the ninth, ending the game. At that moment, Andy Hawkins had a 4-0 loss – despite pitching a complete game, giving up no hits (walking five) and no earned runs.
It Was That Kind of Season
In Andy Hawkins’ next start, just five days after his July 1, 1990 no-hit loss, Hawkins carried a NO-HIT, shutout into the twelfth inning (against the Twins in New York). Unfortunately, the Twins’ Allan Anderson and Juan Berenguer held the Bombers scoreless (despite ten hits). The Twins got to Hawkins for two runs (two walk and two hits) in the twelfth and Rick Aguilera set down the Yankees without a run in the bottom of the inning. So, 11 no-hit innings for Hawkins and the end result was another loss. That gave Hawkins a streak of 19 consecutive hitless innings over the two games – with two losses to show for it.
Andy Hawkins pitched in ten MLB seasons (1982-91 … Padres, Yankees, A’s). He went 84-91, 4.22.
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April 12, 1992, Indians 2 – Red Sox 1
The Indians jumped out front – without a hit – early in this one.
- CF Kenny Lofton leads off the bottom of the first walking on four pitches form Red Sox’ starter Matt Young.
- With DH Glenallen Hill at the plate, Lofton swipes second (on a 2-1 pitch).
- As Hill fans on a 3-2 offering, Lofton steals third.
- 2B Carlos Baerga hits a grounder to Red Sox’ SS Luis Rivera, whose errant throw allows Baerga to reach first, while Lofton crosses the plate.
- LF Albert Belle flies out to right.
- RF Mark Whiten flies out to right-center.
The Indians score again without a hit – in the bottom of the third.
- Mark Lewis walks on four pitches.
- Lofton walks on five pitches, sending Lewis to second.
- Hill grounds to short, with the Red Sox getting the force at second. Hill is safe at first, Lewis moves to third.
- With Baerga up, Hill steals second.
- Baerga hits into a fielders’ choice, with Lewis scoring.
- Belle strikes out.
- Whiten grounds out second-to-first.
The Red Sox got one run back in the top of the fourth on a single by CF Ellis Burks, a walk to 1B Mo Vaughn and an RBI single by SS Luis Rivera.
That was all the scoring in a game in which Matt Young threw eight no-hit innings (seven walks/six strikeouts), but still managed to give up two earned runs. Cleveland starter Charles Nagy gave up eight hits and one run (four walks/ten whiffs) in seven innings and relievers Brad Arnsberg and Derek Lilliquist held the Red Scoreless in the eighth and ninth.
Matt young pitched in 19 MLB seasons (1983-87, 1989-93 … Mariners, Dodgers, A’s, Red Sox, Indians). He went 55-95, 4.40.
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June 28, 2008, Dodgers 1 – Angels 0
This one was scoreless after 5 1/2 frames – Angels’ Jered Weaver versus Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth:
- CF Matt Kemp reached on an error by P Weaver.
- On an 0-1 pitch to 3B Blake DeWitt, Kemp stole second and made it to third on a bad throw by C Jeff Mathis.
- DeWitt hit a sacrifice fly to deep right, scoring Kemp.
- SS Angel Berroa flied out to center.
- P Chad Billingsley walked.
- LF Juan Pierre grounded out second-to-first to end the inning.
And that was all the scoring in this one. Weaver went six innings, gave up the one earned run, walking three and fanning six. Reliever Jose Arredondo then retired Dodgers in order in the seventh and eighth. For the Dodgers, Billingsley gave no runs on three hits (three walks, seven strikeouts) in seven innings – and relievers Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Soto held the Angels at Bay in the eighth in and ninth.
Jered Weaver itched in 12 MLB seasons (2006-17 … Angels, Padres). He went 150-98, 3.63, was a three-time All Star and won twenty games in 2012 (20-5, 2.81 for the Angels.
Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com
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