No-hitters killed by first at bat

Sometimes a Mets hurler will keep our hopes up for four, five … or even eight innings before giving up the no-no. Other times, our starting pitcher will let us update the count early so we can relax and watch the ballgame.

This page, recently enhanced with all kinds of additional rankings, is dedicated to Mets pitchers that get the whole no-hitter burden out of the way very early … as in very first batter.





Of the Mets’ games without a no hitter through this season:

  • 1,778 games began with a lead=off hit by the Mets’ opponent
  • 1,320 potential no-hitters were broken up by a single
  • 292 potential no-hitters were broken up by a double
  • 58 potential no-hitters were broken up by a triple
  • 109 potential no-hitters were broken up by a home run
  • 952 of those games were played on the road
  • 827 were played at home (44 at Citi Field, 746 at Shea Stadium and 36 at the Polo Grounds)

Top all-time leadoff hitters who’ve broken up Mets no-nos

killerscardIf there were a Hall of Fame for breaking up Mets no-hitters early and often, Charlie Hustle would be a first-ballot inductee. You can bet on it.

Pete Rose leads all Major Leaguers by breaking up 55 potential Mets’ no-nos from the leadoff position,

1 Pete Rose 55
2 Lou Brock 34
3 Maury Wills 33
4 Don Kessinger 31
5 Juan Pierre 30
6 Jimmy Rollins 29
7 Brett Butler 23
8 Dave Cash 22
9 Rafael Furcal 22
10 (t) Davey Lopes 20
10 (t) Delino DeShields 20

(Fun fact: In a three-way tie for the next position with 19 leadoff no-no kills is current Met Luis Castillo.)


All-time leaders of Mets pitchers who’ve lost no-nos on leadoff batter

nonokillerpitchersMets’ aces Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver are tied for the lead on our all-time roster for losing the most no-hitters on the first batter, each with 78. (That’s probably more indicative of their longevity than anything else.

1 (t) Jerry Koosman 78
1 (t) Tom Seaver 78
3 Dwight Gooden 62
4 Ron Darling 60
5 Bobby Jones 52
6 Jon Matlack 43
7 (t) Sid Fernandez 41
7 (t) David Cone 41
9 (t) Al Leiter 39
9 (t) Craig Swan 39

Rank of current Mets pitchers who’ve lost no-nos on leadoff batter

nonoactiveIf Mike Pelfrey is going to lose a no-hitter, he’s amazingly efficient at getting our hopes out of the way early. Pelfrey leads all active-roster Mets pitchers with 31 no-nos lost on the first at bat.

1 Mike Pelfrey 31
2 Johan Santana 18
3 Oliver Perez 17
4 John Maine 16
5 Jonathon Niese 8
6 (t) Hisanori Takahashi 3
6 (t) R.A. Dickey 3
8 Pat Misch 2
9 (t) Brandon Knight 1
9 (t) Bobby Parnell 1

Franchises with most leadoff no-no break-ups

nonokillsby franchise

1 Philadelphia Phillies 193
2 (t) St. Louis Cardinals 153
2 (t) Pittsburgh Pirates 153
4 Atlanta (Milwaukee) Braves 149
5 Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos 145
6 (t) San Francisco Giants 143
6 (t) Chicago Cubs 143
7 Houston Astros 134
8 Cincinnati Reds 132
10 Los Angeles Dodgers 129

2010 opening hit break-ups

  • Aug. 25, 2010: At Citi Field, Pat Misch gives up a lead-off single to the Florida Marlins’ Cameron Maybin.
  • Aug. 24, 2010: At Citi Field, R.A. Dickey gives up a lead-off single to the Florida Marlins’ Hanley Ramirez.
  • Aug. 21, 2010: In Pittsburgh, Jonathon Niese gives up a lead-off double to the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen.
  • Aug. 18, 2010: In Houston, R.A. Dickey gives up a lead-off single to the Astros’ Michael Bourne.
  • Aug. 17, 2010: In Houston, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off single to the Astros’ Michael Bourne.
  • Aug. 6, 2010: In Philadelphia, Jonathon Niese gives up a lead-off single to the Phillies’ Raul Ibanez.
  • Aug. 4, 2010: In Atlanta, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the Braves’ Omar Infante.
  • Aug. 2, 2010: In Atlanta, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off single to the Braves’ Omar Infante.
  • July 31, 2010: At Citi Field, Hisanori Takahashi gives up a lead-off single to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chris Young.
  • July 28, 2010: At Citi Field, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off single to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Felipe Lopez.
  • July 27, 2010: At Citi Field, Jonathon Niese gives up a lead-off single to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Felipe Lopez.
  • July 24, 2010: In Los Angeles, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the Dodgers’ Rafael Furcal.
  • July 21, 2010: In Arizona, Jonathon Niese gives up a lead-off homer to the Diamondbacks’ Chris Young.
  • July 20, 2010: In Arizona, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the Diamondbacks’ Chris Young.
  • July 6, 2010: At Citi Field, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off double to the Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Phillips.
  • July 2, 2010: In Washington, Jonathon Niese gives up a lead-off double to the Nationals’ Nyjer Morgan.
  • June 30, 2010: In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off double to the Florida Marlins’ Chris Couglan.
  • June 25, 2010: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off home run to the Minnesota Twins’ Denard Span.
  • June 19, 2010: At Yankee Stadium, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner.
  • June 13, 2010: In Baltimore, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the Orioles’ Corey Patterson.
  • June 12, 2010: In Baltimore, Hisanori Takahashi gives up a lead-off double to the Orioles’ Corey Patterson.
  • May 30, 2010: In Milwaukee, R.A. Dickey gives up a lead-off homer to the Brewers’ Rickie Weeks.
  • May 23, 2010: At Citi Field, Johan Santana gives up a first-pitch single to the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter.
  • May 21, 2010: At Citi Field, Hisanori Takahashi gives up a lead-off single to the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter.
  • May 17, 2010: In Atlanta, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off single to the Braves’ Martin Prado.
  • May 3, 2010: In Cincinnati, Oliver Perez gives up a lead-off homer to the Reds’ Drew Stubbs.
  • May 1, 2010: In Philadelphia, Mike Pelfrey gives up a lead-off double to the Phillies’ Shane Victorino.
  • April 17, 2010: In St. Louis, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off double to the Cardinals’ Skip Schumaker.
  • April 16, 2010: In St. Louis, Oliver Perez gives up a lead-off double to the Cardinals’ Felipe Lopez.
  • April 12, 2010: At Citi Field, Johan Santana gives up a lead-off triple to the Washington Nationals’ Nyjer Morgan

2009 opening hit break-ups

  • Oct. 4, 2009: At Citi Field, Nelson Figueroa gives up a leadoff single to the Houston Astros’ Michael Bourn.
  • Sept. 28, 2009: In Washington, Nelson Figueroa gives up a leadoff double to the Nationals’ Justin Maxwell, though it probabaly should have been ruled an error on David Wright.
  • Sept. 27, 2009: In Florida, Pat Misch gives up a leadoff single to the Marlins’ Chris Coughlan.
  • Sept. 10, 2009: At Citi Field, Bobby Parnell gives up a leadoff double to the Florida Marlins Chris Coughlan.
  • Sept. 6, 2009: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the Chicago Cubs’ Sam Fuld.
  • Sept. 3, 2009: In Colorado, Pat Misch gives up a leadoff single to the Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez.
  • Aug. 27, 2009: In Miami, Tim Redding gives up a leadoff homer to the Florida Marlins’ Chris Coughlan.
  • Aug. 23, 2009: At Citi Field, Oliver Perez gives up a leadoff double to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins during a six-run top-of-the-first inning.
  • Aug. 17, 2009: At Citi Field, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff single (first pitch) to the Giants’ Eugenio Velez.
  • Aug. 6, 2009: In San Diego, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff single to the Padres’ Tony Gwynn Jr.
  • July 30, 2009: At Citi Field, the Colorado Rockies Seth Smith hits a leadoff single off Jon Niese.
  • July 28, 2009: At Citi Field, the Colorado Rockies Seth Smith hits a leadoff single off Mike Pelfrey.
  • July 22, 2009: In Washington, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the Nationals’ Nyjer Morgan.
  • July 9, 2009: At Citi Field, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff ground-rule double to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Rafael Furcal.
  • July 5, 2009: In Philadelphia, Johan Santana gives up a leadoff homer to the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins.
  • July 3, 2009: In Philadelphia, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff double to the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins.
  • July 2, 2009: In Pittsburgh, Tim Redding gives up a leadoff double to the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen.
  • June 28, 2009: At Citi Field, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff double to the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter.
  • June 26, 2009: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner.
  • June 21, 2009: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the Tampa Bay Rays’ B.J. Upton.
  • June 14, 2009: At Yankee Stadium, Johan Santana gives up a first-pitch single to Derek Jeter.
  • June 4, 2009: In Pittsburgh Mike Pelfrey yields a leadoff single to the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen in the rookie’s first Major League at-bat.
  • June 1, 2009: In Pittsburgh, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff bloop single to the Pirates Nyjer Morgan.
  • May 23, 2009: In Boston, Mike Pelfrey yields a leadoff single to the Red Sox’ Jacoby Ellsbury.
  • May 22, 2009: In Boston, Johan Santana gives up a leadoff single to the Red Sox’ Jacoby Ellsbury.
  • May 20, 2009: In Los Angeles, the Dodgers’ Juan Pierre dinks a short infield single off Livan Hernandez.
  • May 16, 2009: In San Francisco, the Giants’ Emmanuel Burriss hits a leadoff single off Johan Santana.
  • May 14, 2009: In San Francisco, John Maine yields an infield single to third from the Giants’ Emmanuel Burriss.
  • May 10, 2009: At Citi Field, Livan Hernandez gives up a leadoff single to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Nyjer Morgan.
  • May 8, 2009: At Citi Field, Jonathon Niese gives up a line-drive, infield single to third by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Nyjer Morgan.
  • May 7, 2009: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins.
  • May 2, 2009: In Philadelphia, Oliver Perez gives up a leadoff triple to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Shane Victorino.
  • April 25, 2009: At Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff single to the Washington Nationals’ Anderson Hernandez.
  • April 19, 2009: At Citi Field, Nelson Figueroa gives up a leadoff infield single to the Milwaukee Brewers’ Rickie Weeks.
  • April 13, 2009: At the first-ever game at Citi Field, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff home run to the San Diego Padres’ Jody Gerut.
  • April 8, 2009: In Cincinnati, Mike Pelfrey gives up a leadoff line-drive single to right to the Reds’ Jerry Hairston.


Research for this page done using BaseballReference.com, with much of the data obtained free of charge from and copyrighted by Retrosheet .


[Slashdot] [Digg] [Reddit] [del.icio.us] [Facebook] [Technorati] [Google] [StumbleUpon]