Once again, it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye. (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” one-of-a-kind MLB accomplishments or statistics. Today, we’re celebrating the MLB game with the fewest combined hits ever.
It happened sixty years ago today – on September 9, 1965 – in Los Angeles. Dodgers’ icon Sandy Koufax (21-7, 2.20 in 35 starts at the time) was on the mound for the Dodgers, while Bob Hendley (2-2, 8.22) was starting for Chicago. (Hendley was making his eighth start – and 22nd appearance of the season).
At the end of four frames, nary a batter had reached base against either Koufax or Hendley. In bottom of the fifth, the Dodgers broke the stalemate. Dodgers’ Left fielder and cleanup hitter Lou Johnson led off the inning with a walk; moved to second on a sacrifice by RF Ron Fairly; stole third; and scored as Cubs’ C Chris Krug made a wild throw past third baseman Ron Santo on Johnson’s steal.
By the bottom of the seventh, pretty much everyone in the crowd was on the edge of their seat. Koufax was yet to allow a base runner and Hendley had yet to give up a base hit. In fact, Johnson was the only Dodger to have reached base. Double no-hitters were in progress. The Dodgers, however, broke the base-hit ice in the bottom of the seventh – a two out double to short right field by the pesky Johnson.
Long story short, Koufax went on to complete his perfecto. Hendley gave up just the one unearned run, allowing just two base runners (Johnson’s double and walk). The two teams combined to go 1-for-51 (the Dodgers did not bat in the bottom of the ninth). Koufax went on to finish the season 26-8, 2.04, leading the league in: wins; winning percentage (.765; complete games (27); innings pitched (335 2/3); strikeouts (382); and earning his second Cy Young Award. Hendley finished the year at 4-4, 5.96 in 26 appearances, with two complete games in 12 starts.
A bit of irony, the Roundtable does love irony. Just five days later (September 14), Hendley got a rematch – starting against the Dodgers and Koufax in Chicago. This time, Hendley got the win in a 2-1 game. Hendley gave up just one run on four hits (three walks, seven strikeouts), while Koufax gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings (five hits, no walks, three strikeouts). The consecutive complete games with Koufax as his mound opponent were Hendley’s only complete games of the season.
For those who like to know such things, Hendley’s career record (1961-67 … Braves, Giants, Cubs, Mets) was 48-52, 3.97, with 216 appearances, 44 starts, 25 complete games, six shutouts. Sandy Koufax? Oh, you already know.
Close, But No Cigar
On May 2, 1917 the Reds faced the Cubs in Chicago, with righty Fred Toney starting for the Reds and southpaw Jim “Hippo” Vaughn on the bump for the Cubs. Toney, who would win 24 games that season, came in with a 4-1, 1.88 record and five complete games in five starts. Vaughn, on his way to a 23-13, 2.01 season, stood at 4-2. 2.25, with three complete games in four starts. The expected pitching duel materialized.
After nine innings, the game was knotted at 0-0 and neither Toney nor Vaughn had surrendered a hit (the only MLB game ever in which both pitchers held the opposition hitless for nine frames). Vaughn seemed to be getting the better of it. Each pitcher had walked just two batters, but Vaughn had fanned ten to Toney’s one. In the top of the tenth, Vaughn faltered and a pair of singles and an outfield error led to an unearned run. The two hits kept this from tieing as the MLB game with the fewest combined safeties). Toney pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning (strikeout-fly out-strikeout) to leave the mound with a 1-0 no-hitter win.
Toney pitched 12 MLB seasons (1911-13, 1915-23), going 139-102, 2.69 and twice won 20 or more games. Vaughn pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1908, 1910-21), going 178-137, 2.49 – and won twenty or more games in five seasons. In 1918. Vaughn won the pitching Triple Crown, leading the NL in wins (22), ERA (1.74) and strikeouts (148).
Bonus Tidbits
Sandy Koufax is the only MLB pitcher to throw a no-hitter in four consecutive seasons (1962-65). Pitchers to throw two no-hitters in a season include: Nolan Ryan (1973); Max Scherzer (2015); Roy Halladay (2010 – one in the post season); Virgil Trucks (1952); Allie Reynolds (1951); Johnny Vander Meer (1938).
Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com.
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