Although the New York Mets during their 50-plus-year no no-no streak had seven pitchers throw no-hitters after leaving the team, the San Diego Padres didn’t have a single pitcher to fit into the “No-hitters … after they were Padres” category until June 3, 2017. That’s when former Padres pitcher Edinson Vólquez no-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park:
| Edinson Vólquez | |
|---|---|
| Miami Marlins (NL) | |
| June 3, 2017 Miami Marlins 2, Arizona Diamondbacks 0 Marlins Park (Miami) |
Vólquez struck out 10 and walked two D-Backs hitters but managed to face the minimum 27 batters, as both were retired on double plays. His no-no broke a drought that dated back to April 21, 2016, when the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta no-hit the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Here are the final three outs, all strikeouts:
Vólquez, who began his major league career with the Texas Rangers before spending four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, joined the San Diego Padres in the 2011-2012 off-season via a trade. Vólquez was the Opening Day starter in both 2012 and 2013 and had a decent year in 2012 (11-11 4.14 ERA), but he struggled in 2013 and was released in August of that season.
Although Vólquez’s no-no marks the only official feat after leaving the Padres, Andy Hawkins, who pitched for the Friars from 1982-1988, no-hit the Chicago White Sox as a member of the New York Yankees. It’s no longer considered an official no-hitter because Hawkins lost the game 4-0 on the road, thus never had to pitch the ninth inning:
| Andy Hawkins | |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees (AL) | |
| Sunday, July 1, 1990 Chicago White Sox 4, New York Yankees 0 Comiskey Park (Chicago) |
The Yankees hadn’t scored, but Hawkins was doing great until two outs in the eighth inning. Then:
- Sammy Sosa reached base on a chopper bobbled by third baseman Mike Blowers.
- Ozzie Guillen walked
- Lance Johnson walked
- Robin Ventura hit a deep fly ball to left fielder Jim Leyritz, who dropped the ball, scoring Sosa, Guillen, and Johnson
- Iván Calderón hit a fly ball to right field and Jesse Barfield lost it in the sun, allowing Ventura to score
The White Sox were getting no-hit but up 4-0, and the Yankees couldn’t score in the top of the ninth, so there was no reason for Hawkins to take the mound for the bottom of the ninth.
Despite pitchers’ lack of no-nos after their stints with the Padres, there have been 11 pitchers who have thrown complete-game no-hitters before joining the team, and two have participated in combined no-nos. Those are documented here.