Just a few days ago, Baseball Roundtable featured a post on the fewest combined hits ever allowed in a major league contest of at least nine innings. It happened back on September 9, 1965, when the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax bested the Cubs’ Bob Hendley 1-0. Koufax threw a no-hitter (perfect game), while the unfortunate Hendley gave up just one safety. For the whole story, click here.
Never Before – Unlikely Again
Yesterday, marked another “never before – unlikely ever again” feat of pitching excellence (or batting futility). For the first time since 1900 (according to Elias Sports Bureau), an MLB team managed a victory despite having only one base runner (which, of course, would be the bare minimum) in a game of at least nine innings. The team with this absolutely zero-waste offensive output? The Arizona Diamondbacks, who topped the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 (in Phoenix). Reds’ starter Anthony DeSclafani set the Diamondbacks down in order in the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings (fanning five); while reliever Joel Kuhnel added one whiff in a 1-2-3 eighth. The only blemish for the Reds’ mounds men came in the third inning. Arizona SS Nick Ahmed led off with a high hopper (on the first pitch he saw from DeSclafani) that bounced over the head of Reds’ third-sacker Eugenio Saurez and rolled all the way to the left field wall for a triple. D-backs’ RF Jarrod Dyson was also first-pitch swinging and sent a fly ball to center for a run-scoring sacrifice fly – and that was Arizona’s total offense for the game.
The Diamondbacks’ staff – starter Merrill Kelly (seven innings) and relievers Kevin Ginkel and Archie Bradley (one frame each) made the 1-0 lead stand up; giving up no runs on three and two walks (seven strikeouts).
It’s Happened Before, It’ll Happen Again
Yesterday (September 14), the Astros’ Zack Greinke pitched six innings of one-run ball (six hits, no walks, seven strikeouts) for the win, as Houston topped Kansas City 6-1 (in K.C.). It was the Greinke’s 203rd career win and 16th victory of 2019 – but his first-ever against the Royals (Greinke was a Royals’ first-round draft pick in 2002, pitched for the Royals from 2004 through 2010 and won the AL Cy Young Award as a Royal in 2009). Notably, Greinke’s win against the Royals made him the 19th pitcher to record victories against all 30 teams. (Keep in mind, MLB didn’t reach 30 teams until 1998.) With today’s inter-league play and player movement from team to team, we can expect more hurlers to reach this mark. Still, it’s a pretty good sign of MLB longevity – and a fun statistic.
Al Leiter and me … at the 2015 All Fan Fest.
The first pitcher to notch wins against all thirty MLB team was Al Leiter, who completed the feat in 2002). Since that time, Leiter has been joined by Kevin Brown, Terry Mulholland, Curt Schilling, Woody Williams, Jamie Moyer, Randy Johnson, Barry Zito, Javier Vazquez, Vincente Padilla, Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett, Dan Haren, Kyle Lohse, Tim Hudson, John Lackey, Max Scherzer, Bartolo Colon and Zack Greinke.
Greinke’s fewest career victories against any team have come, of course, against the Royals (1). He is 1-2, 2.90 versus K.C. On the other side of the coin, he has more career victories for the Royals (60) than for any other team. He has more career victories against the Rockies (14-7, 3.66) than any other team.
Photo by apardavila 
Looking at the full list, Max Scherzer was the quickest to wins against all 30 teams – just nine seasons and 248 pitching appearances. Taking the longest? Jamie Moyer and Randy Johnson each wrapped up the complete victory cycle in their 22nd MLB seasons and Derek Lowe notched a victory against team number 30 in his 641st appearance. Oh yes, Barry Zito appeared for the fewest teams in his run to a win against all 30 franchises – taking the mound for just the Giants and A’s.
On May 11, 2016, Max Scherzer of the Nationals joined the ranks of pitchers recording a career victory against all 30 MLB teams, as Washington topped Detroit 3-2. In the process, he became the first pitcher to reach the “30-team” mark while tossing a complete game – AND he tied an MLB record by fanning 20 batters in the contest (two runs, two hits, no walks, 20 whiffs). Scherzer was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft- and has pitched for Arizona in 2008-09, Detroit (2010-2015) and Washington (2015-19).
Don’t Want to See This Again … So Close, Yet So Far
On this day (September 15) in 1971, Larry Yount (brother to Hall of Famer Robin Yount) had the shortest MLB career of any pitcher. Called up from the minors by the Astros that September, Yount was called in from the bullpen to pitch the ninth inning of a game against the Braves (Houston was trailing 4-1). While he was warming up on the mound, he felt tightness and pain in his elbow. Baseball rules require a reliever to face at least one batter, with the lone exception being if he has to be removed due to injury. That exception helped make Yount the answer to a trivia question. Yount and his painful elbow were taken out of the game before he faced a single batter. By baseball rules, however, he was credited with an MLB game appearance. Yount played three more seasons (1972-73 and 1975), but never made it back to the majors. He remains the only pitcher listed in MLB’s official records as having appeared in the majors – but never having faced a batter.
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Apart from the Diamondbacks, how many other teams have recorded a triple as their only hit in a game?