The San Diego Padres’ no no-hitters streak celebrates its 51st birthday today.
On Tuesday April 8, 1969, in the franchise’s first game, Padres starter Dick Selma gave up a leadoff single to right to the Houston Astros’ Jesús Alou, starting the no no-hitters streak at 1. The Padres have since added 8,137 regular-season games, and 34 post-season games, to that mark, holding onto the major-league record for no-hit futility.
The Padres’ no no-hitters count could have been at 8,149 this morning had the MLB season started on time (and assuming that the Friars were unable to break the streak). The count currently sits at 8,138 as baseball pauses during the coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Mets were the longstanding owners of the no-hit futility mark but exited the club on June 1, 2012, when the Johan Santana no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals after 8,019 games without a no-hitter. The Padres passed the Mets mark last May.
On the day the Padres’ streak was born, the Mets’ no no-hitters count reached 1,137 as Bob Bailey of the Montreal Expos tagged Tom Seaver for a first-inning RBI double.
