The game was being played in Chicago and Hawkins\u2019 mound opponent was southpaw Greg Hibbard, who was 8-6, 2.49 at the time. After seven\u00a0 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).<\/p>\n Barry Jones came to the mound for the ChiSox in the top of the eighth and held the Yankees without a run.\u00a0 In the bottom of the eighth, the baseball Gods began to \u201cmess with\u201d Hawkins\u2019 game.\u00a0 It started out fine, with ChiSox catcher Ron Karkovice and 2B Scott Fletcher both going down on infield pop ups.\u00a0 Then, RF Sammy Sosa\u00a0 (batting in the eight-hole) reached first on an error by Yankee third baseman Mike Blowers (a bobbled ground ball). Hawkins followed by walking SS Ozzie Guillen on a 3-2 pitch and then issuing a four-pitch walk to CF Lance Johnson. Sacks full, but shutout, no-hitter and the chance of a much-needed win still intact. Next up was 3B Robin Ventura,\u00a0 who hit a playable flyball to rookie Jim Leyritz in LF. The ball clanked off Leyritz\u2019 glove for an error and \u2013 with the runners moving (two outs) – all three\u00a0 scored (Ventura ended up on second).\u00a0 Next up was DH Ivan Calderon, who 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.\u00a0 Hawkins then retired LF Dan Pasqua to end the inning.<\/p>\n The Yankees went scoreless off reliever Scott Radinsky in the top of the ninth, ending the game. At that moment, Andy Hawkins had a complete-game, no-hitter, 4-0 loss. Little did Hawkins know; he was going to lose this no-hitter a second time.<\/p>\n In September of the following season (1991), MLB ruled that official no-hitters had to be at least nine innings.\u00a0 Since the White Sox had not batted in the bottom of the ninth, Hawkins, despite the complete game, no longer had an official no-hitter.<\/p>\n It Was That Kind Of Season <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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).\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Twins’ Allan Anderson and Juan Berenguer held the Bombers scoreless (despite ten hits).\u00a0 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.\u00a0 That gave Hawkins a streak of 19 consecutive hitless innings over the two games – with two losses to show for it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Hawkins finished 1990 at 5-12, 5.37. Hawkins pitched in 10 MLB seasons (1982-91 \u2026 Padres, Yankees, A\u2019s), going 84-91, 4.22. His best season was 1985, when he went 18-8. 3.15.<\/p>\n _______________________________________<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Looking into Hawkins\u2019 lost (in more ways than one) no-hitter, set me to looking for other unusual no-hitter outings.<\/p>\n A.J. Burnett …\u00a0 A Walk on the Wild Side<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n His game looked like this:<\/p>\n A.J. Burnet pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1999-2015 … Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Pirates, Phillies), going 164-157, 3.99. He won ten or more games in 11 seasons (a high of 18 for the Blue Jays in 2008).<\/p>\n A First for A.J.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A.J. Burnett made his first All Star team in his final MLB season (at age 38 in 2015). He was 2-4, 2.53, for the Pirates, at the All Star break.\u00a0 He went 7-3, 3.89 the rest of the way.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ken Johnson … How About a Little Help from My Friends?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Edwin Jackson \u2013 Who\u2019s Counting?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On June 25, 2010, \u00a0the Diamondbacks\u2019 Edwin Jackson got off to a wild start against the Rays. \u00a0Jackson\u2019s pitch count was up to 70 after just three innings \u2013 during which he gave up seven walks, threw one wild pitch and fanned two.\u00a0 He settled down after that \u2013 walking just one more batter, fanning four more and holding the Rays hitless.\u00a0 Jackson threw 149 pitches, the most ever in a no-hitter, as the Diamondbacks prevailed 1-0.<\/p>\n Jackson pitched in 17 MLB seasons (2003-2019 … Dodgers, Rays, Tigers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs, Braves, Marlins, Padres, Orioles, A’s, Blue Jays).\u00a0 His career MLB stat line was 107-133, 4.78.<\/p>\n I’m a Travelin’ Man<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Edwin Jackson pitched at the major-league level for more teams (14) than any other player in MLB history. In the five seasons between 2009 and 2013, he pitched for six different MLB teams (Tigers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs).\u00a0 He pitched for two MLB teams in six of his 17 MLB campaigns.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Steve Barber \u2013 One for the Books<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The most walks in a no-hitter by one pitcher is ten by Steve Barber in a combined no hitter<\/em>.\u00a0 Barber took a no-hitter, albeit with seven walks, and a 1-0 lead into the top of the ninth as his Orioles played the Tigers in Detroit on April 30, 1967.\u00a0 Barber walked the first two batters in the final inning. Then a sacrifice moved them to second and third.\u00a0 A wild pitch followed, plating the tying run.\u00a0 Barber walked the next hitter, and was relieved by Stu Miller. Miller finished up the no-hitter, but the go-ahead run scored on an error, giving the Tigers a 2-1 win without the benefit of a hit.<\/p>\n Barber enjoyed a 15-season MLB career (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 (20-13, 2.75) in 1963 (Orioles).<\/p>\n Jim Maloney …\u00a0 You Win Some, You Lose Some (not necessarily in that order) … or a Very Larry Tale<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On June 14, 1965, the Reds’ Jim Maloney held the New York Mets hitless for ten innings (in Cincinatti) – walking one and fanning 17.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the Mets’ Frank Lary<\/strong> and Larry<\/strong> Bearnarth held the the Reds scoreless through ten frames (on six hits).\u00a0 Mets’ RF J0hnny Lewis led off the tenth with a home run off Maloney, the Reds did not score in the bottom of the inning and all Maloney had to show for his effort was a loss.<\/p>\n Maloney, however, was not to be denied a 1965 no-hitter. On August 19, he held the Cubs hitless over the first nine innings (in Chicago). The Cubs’ Larry<\/strong> Jackson, however, had matched him zero-for-zero … in what was a wild game, at least for Maloney.\u00a0 As they went into the tenth, Maloney had walked nine, hit one batter and fanned 12, while Jackson had surrendered seven hits, walked none and fanned five. Reds” SS and number-eight hitter Leo Cardenas touched Jackson for a solo home run in the top of tenth and Maloney walked one and then got a fly out and a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and\u00a0 get the no-phit victory.\u00a0 Side note: In\u00a0 his very first start of the 1965 season (April 19 at Milwaukee), Maloney had taken a no-hitter into the eighth, only to have it broken up a a Denis Menke single (the only hit of the game for the Braves).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Maloney pitched in a dozen MLB seasons (1970-71 … Reds, Angels), going 134-84, 3.19. He won 15 or more games six times and was twice a 20-game winner (23-7, 2.77 for the 1963 Reds and 20-9, 2.54 for the 1965 Reds).<\/p>\n Johnny Vander Meer … Working Hard to Finish<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Vander Meer pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1937-43, 1946-51 … losing two prime years to military service).\u00a0 He pitched for the Reds, Cubs and Indians.\u00a0 Vander Meer was a four-time All Star (all before his military years) and won 15 or more games in five seasons. He led the National League in strikeouts in each of the three seasons before his military break. Vander Meer’s final MLB stat line was 119-121, 3.44.<\/p>\n This One May Top Them All … Especially if You Like Pitchers’ Duels<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On May 2, 1917, the Cubs faced the Reds in Chicago – with Fred Toney (4-1, 1.88) starting for the Reds and Jim “Hippo” Vaughn\u00a0 (3-1, 2.25) on the mound for the Cubs. <\/strong>(Side note: In 1917, the MLB overall earned run average was 2.68. ) At the end of nine frames, the game was scoreless and the fans had yet to witness a hit by either team<\/em>. There had been only five base runners in the game (four walks and one safe on an error ). In fact, only seven\u00a0 batted balls had even reached the outfield. In the top of the tenth, the Reds broke through, scoring a run on two singles and an error. Toney held firm in the bottom of the inning, recording a 1-2-3 frame (two strikeouts) and putting a no-hitter into the record books. Toney finished the season at 24-16, 2.20 (and had a career line of 139-102, 2.69 in 12 seasons); while Vaughn went 23-13, 2.01 in 1917 and 178-137, 2.49 in 13 MLB seasons.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Primary Resources:\u00a0 Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Hawloms.jpg\")
<\/a>As Yankees’ righthander Andy Hawkins took the mound on July 1, 1990, the fans may not have expected a victory and almost certainly would not have been expecting a no-hitter.\u00a0 Yet, Hawkins – who brought a 4-9 record (13 games\/12 starts) and\u00a0 a 6.40 earned run average into the game \u2013 would get (temporarily) the least expected of the two.<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>In A.J. Burnett\u2019s May 12, 2001 no-hitter for the Marlins, a 3-1 win over the Padres, every starting position player for the Padres reached base at least once.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <\/em>(Burnett walked nine and hit one batter).\u00a0 Burnett\u2019s nine walks are the most ever in a nine-inning, one-pitcher<\/em> no-hitter. Burnett threw 65 strikes and 64 balls in the game \u2013 his 50.4 percent strike-to-ball ratio is the worst ever in a no-hitter.<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>On April 23, 1964, the Houston Colt .45s\u2019 Ken Johnson had held the Reds hitless through eight innings (in Houston) \u2013 walking two and fanning nine. However, the Reds\u2019 Joe Nuxhall also had a shutout going, although he had given up five hits.\u00a0\u00a0 A couple of errors in the ninth cost Johnson the game \u2013 but not the no-hitter.\u00a0 In the top of the ninth, Nuxhall led off against Johnson and grounded out (third-to-first). The next batter, 2B Pete Rose, attempted to end the no-no with a bunt to the third base side of the infield.\u00a0 Johnson fielded the bunt, but threw wildly toward first base. \u00a0Rose ended up on second (a two-base error). Chico Ruiz followed up with a line drive off Johnson that was fielded by 3B Bob Aspromonte, who threw Ruiz out at first (with Rose going to third). Next up was Reds\u2019 CF Vada Pinson, who was safe on an error by Houston 2B Nellie Fox (Rose scoring). Johnson then retired RF Frank Robinson on a routine fly to left.\u00a0 The no-hitter was intact, but the damage was done \u2013 one unearned run. Nuxhall \u00a0held the Colt .45s scoreless in the bottom of the inning and Johnson had MLB’s only complete-game, official no-hitter loss<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/a>Most fans know that Johnny Vander Meer is the only MLB pitcher to toss consecutive no-hitters (June 11 and 15, 1938 \u2013 in the 23-year-old southpaw\u2019s second MLB season). But, were you aware of the wild finish to the second no-no?\u00a0 On June 15, facing the Dodgers in Brooklyn, the Reds\u2019 Vander Meer took a no hitter and a 6-0 lead into the ninth inning.\u00a0 At this point, he had walked five and fanned seven. He got the first batter of the frame,\u00a0 Buddy Hassett, on a weak grounder to the mound.\u00a0 Then things got a little wild \u2013 as he walked the bases loaded (C Babe Phelps, 3B Cookie Lavagetto and 1B Dolph Camilli). Next up was CF Ernie Koy, who hit a grounder to third that resulted in a force out at the plate.\u00a0 Sacks still full, with the shutout and no-hitter intact. SS Leo Durocher was up next and Vander Meer got him a fly out to center.<\/p>\n<\/a>Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.\u00a0 To see the full list, click\u00a0here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n