Knuckleballer Phil Niekro threw the Braves’ first no-hitter after the club’s move to Atlanta, 42 years ago today. Sticking with his trademark knuckler from the seventh inning on, Niekro no-hit the San Diego Padres for a 9-0 win at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on Sunday, August 5, 1973. Niekro had been mixing in fastballs and sliders…
The Texas Rangers’ Adrián Beltré became just the fourth major league player to hit for a third career cycle on Monday, and all three were accomplished in Arlington, Texas. Beltré hit his third cycle Monday night during the Rangers’ 12-9 win over the Houston Astros with a triple (first inning), double (second inning), single (third…
Happy 133rd birthday to the New York Giants’ Red Ames, who threw nine innings of no-hit ball in 1909 before giving up a hit in the 10th and losing the game in the 13th. On April 15, 1909, Ames no-hit the Brooklyn Superbas over nine innings at the Polo Grounds but neither team could score…
The Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers seemed poised today to do something not seen around these parts in 98 years. The Rays’ Chris Archer and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander kept everyone off the base paths through 4 2/3 innings on Wednesday, getting through just over half of what the Chicago Cubs’ Hippo Vaughn…
The New York Mets’ Noah Syndergaard retired the first 18 San Diego Padres he faced on Tuesday, losing his perfect game when Will Venable led off the seventh inning with a single. The Mets rookie fireballer worked out of the seventh-inning jam to protect a 2-0 lead and ended the night throwing eight innings with…
Johan Ramon “Ervin” Santana threw a Los Angeles Angels no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians four years ago today. Santana, who took the new first name of Ervin in 2003 to avoid sharing the same name with the then Minnesota Twins pitcher, threw his gem on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 for a 3-1 win at Jacobs…