Don’t Worry Boss I Got This … One Pitch – Three Outs – One Win
One and done, that was Ken Ash’s day on July 27, 1930 – when he threw just one pitch, but recorded three outs and earned a major league victory.
Ken Ash was a journeyman right-hander who spent more time in the minor leagues than in the majors. Between 1924 and 1940, he toiled in the minors for 14 seasons – appearing in 462 games – winning 176, losing 153. He did make it to the big leagues in four of those seasons (1925, ’28, ’29, ’30), going 6-8, with a 4.96 ERA in 55 games. He also made his way into the record books as the only MLB hurler to record three outs on one pitch.
It happened 87 years ago today and here’s how it went down.
The Cubs were batting against Ash’s Reds in the top of the sixth, down 2-1, when Reds’ starter Larry Benton got into trouble. He started the inning by giving up a triple to Cubs’ 3B Woody English. This was followed by a run-scoring single to RF Kiki Cuyler, a run-scoring double to CF Hack Wilson, a wild pitch (moving Wilson to third) and, ultimately, a walk to LF Danny Taylor. That was all for Benton and Ash came in from the bullpen to face Cubs’ first sacker Charlie Grimm.
Grimm grounded Ash’s first pitch to Reds’ shortstop Hod Ford. Wilson moved off the bag at third – expecting the Reds to take the double play, allowing him to score. Ford, instead, fired the ball to Reds’ third baseman Tony Cuccinello, as Wilson broke for home. Cuccinello sent the horsehide on to catcher Clyde Sukeforth, who tagged Wilson for the first out of the inning. Seeing the potential for a rundown between third and home, Grimm rounded first and headed for second. Oops! Taylor was still at second. Grimm reversed toward first, but Sukeforth threw to Reds’ first baseman Joe Stripp, who laid the tag on Grimm for the second out. Not to be outdone by Grimm’s base running miscue, Taylor broke for third. Stripp threw to Cuccinello who tagged Taylor to complete a 6-5-2-3-5 triple play. Red Lucas pinch hit for Ash in the bottom of the inning – as the Reds took a 6-3 lead. The lead held and Ash got the win – as well as the distinction of recording three outs on a single pitch. Thanks, in part, to some remarkably aggressive – and inept – Cubs’ baserunning.
NO PITCH COUNT NEEDED – NO PITCH NEEDED
Although the Reds’ Ken Ash did record a victory and get three outs on just one pitch (on July 27, 1930) he does not hold the record for the fewest pitches thrown in a major league win. Although tracking is not complete, there have been at least two instances of pitchers “earning” a victory without throwing a single pitch to the plate. The most recent no-pitch win came on July 7, 2009 – and went to Alan Embree of the Rockies. Embree came into a game against the Nationals in the top of the eighth inning with the contest knotted at four runs apiece, two out and the Nats’ Austin Kearns on first. Embree’s first throw was not to the plate, but rather to Rockies’ first baseman Todd Helton. Kearns was caught off base and broke for second. He was eventually tagged out by Embree in a 1-3-6-1 run down. Seth Smith pinch-hit for Embree in the bottom of the inning as the Rockies scored (and held on) to give Embree the win – without tossing a single pitch.
The Orioles’ B.J. Ryan also earned a victory without tossing a pitch – in a very similar situation. On May 1, 2003. Ryan came on in the bottom of the seventh with the Tigers up on the Orioles 2-1. There were two outs and the Orioles’ SS Omar Infante was one first. Ryan’s first toss went to 1B Jeff Conine and Infante broke for second – where SS Deivi Cruz took the throw from Conine and applied the tag. The Orioles scored three times in the top of the eighth to take the lead, Buddy Groom pitched the eighth for Detroit and Jorge Julio closed it out in the ninth – giving Ryan a no-pitch victory.
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