Breaking News: Jonathan Sanchez Fifth Giant In Team History To Toss No-Hitter!
Posted by Brian Joseph on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 12:10 am
Jonathan Sanchez was given a second chance at a spot in the rotation. As repayment for the opportunity, Sanchez nearly tossed a perfect game and closed out an impressive no-hitter by striking out Everth Cabrera looking for his 11th strikeout of the night.
Sanchez went 22 straight without a blemish before an error by Juan Uribe on a Chase Headley grounder cost him a perfect game in the eighth. Sanchez settled back in quickly and retired the next two. In the ninth, a key defensive play by Aaron Rowand who made a leaping grab as he bumped into the wall on a deep fly out by Edgar Gonzalez before ending it with more nasty stuff to get Cabrera looking and earn the historic no-hitter.
Sanchez was the first Giant since John Montefusco in 1976 to toss a no-hitter and fifth Giant ever joining Montefusco, Ed Halicki, Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal.
After the game, Sanchez was shown hugging his father who was on hand for the no-hitter. Jonathan later said was the first game his father ever saw him pitch as a starter.
Sanchez was thrust back into the rotation after Randy Johnson was sent to the disabled list after the 26-year-old spent three weeks in the bullpen. Before this start, Sanchez suffered a five-game winless streak and posted an 0-4 record during that stretch. The no-hitter gave the Giants an 8-0 win and was Sanchez’s first complete game of his career.
It was the first no-hitter in the Majors since Carlos Zambrano tossed a no-hitter last September against the Houston Astros in Milwaukee.
The Padres have been the victim of three of the last 14 no-hitter tossed in the Majors.
It’s even more surprising to come from a pitcher with such a mediocre career. He’s got a career 5.21 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and has always had a good strikeout ratio (9.0 K/9 career) but gives up a bunch of hits (9.1 H/9) and walks (4.8 BB/9).
And he’d never be in the rotation if Randy Johnson hadn’t hit the DL. Sanchez was in the bullpen because of his awful 2-8 record as a starter, with a 5.62 ERA and 1.77 WHIP.
Is this the unlikeliest no-no in history?
Ernie Shore’s no-hitter on June 23, 1917 was probably a little more unlikely. In relief of Babe Ruth after Ruth walked the first batter and then was tossed, the first batter was caught stealing and Shore retired 26 straight. Sure, technically, it wasn’t really a no-hitter but it’s a little more unlikely.
There are plenty of unlikely no-hitters in Major League history though, really. Bobo Holloman tossed one in his first Major League start. Dock Ellis claims to have tossed one under the influence of LSD. Those two are pretty unlikely, too.
And there are plenty of names on the list that seem highly unlikely: Bud Smith? Jose Jimenez??
It’s just a cool, unlikely thing that happens from time to time that we should hope we’re lucky enough to be around to see it because they are just a lot of fun!
The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (http://www.robneyer.com/book_04_ExpectNoNo.html) takes a stab at it, and comes up with this list:
No-Hitters
Pitcher Hits/9 Starts Expected Actual
Bumpus Jones 9.07 7 .0038 1
Bobo Holloman 9.55 10 .0039 1
Bud Smith 9.92 24 .007 1
Walter Thornton 10.51 48 .009 1
Iron Davis 9.19 22 .011 1
Bill Hawke 10.63 66 .012 1
Jose Jimenez 9.78 38 .012 1
Mike Warren 9.12 7 .014 1
Bill McCahan 9.19 40 .020 1
George Culver 9.05 57 .031 1
All no hitters are pretty bloody unlikely the more I think about it!
So is having a first name like “Iron” or “Bumpus”, too.
It’s funny you mention the Dock Ellis no-no, Brian. I had originally written that in my comment, but deleted it, since (after all) Ellis was a pretty good pitcher. Acid or not, he had the skills, even if he did walk 8 in the no-no.
Thanks for the list, Rob. I knew someone would have a line on those kind of odds!
It’s a good question as to whether a no-hitter is as much a statistical fluke/necessity as a demonstration of skill (meaning that, in so many games pitched, someone’s going to throw a no-hitter). So much depends on pitching style and (sometimes) scoring decisions that it’s clearly a mistake to say that one no-no is an indication of overwhelming stuff and skill.
Multiple no-nos are likely a better indication; not sure if there’s any mediocre pitchers on that list.