Matt Garza’s no-hitter
Posted by Andy on July 27, 2010
Click through for a few tidbits about Garza's no-hitter.
Sorry I don't have more time to write this. Real life is getting in the way.
Garza's gem doesn't quite qualify as the best Game Score for a Rays pitcher, but it's close:
| Rk | Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | App,Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | Pit | Str | GSc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Shields | 2008-05-09 | TBR | LAA | W 2-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 92 | 61 | 93 |
| 2 | Ryan Rupe | 1999-05-23 | TBD | ANA | L 0-4 | GS-9 | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 86 | 59 | 93 |
| 3 | Matt Garza | 2010-07-26 | TBR | DET | W 5-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 120 | 80 | 92 |
| 4 | Jeff Niemann | 2009-06-03 | TBR | KCR | W 9-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 100 | 69 | 91 |
| 5 | Scott Kazmir | 2006-07-03 | TBD | BOS | W 3-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 120 | 84 | 91 |
| 6 | Matt Garza | 2008-08-15 | TBR | TEX | W 7-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 119 | 78 | 90 |
| 7 | Matt Garza | 2008-06-26 | TBR | FLA | W 6-1 | CG 9 ,W | 9.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 108 | 76 | 90 |
| 8 | Joe Kennedy | 2003-05-02 | TBD | DET | W 2-0 | SHO9 ,W | 9.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 106 | 72 | 90 |
He now owns 3 of the 8 scores in the 90s for the franchise. I'm happy to see the late Joe Kennedy's name come up on a leader board.
The game was the 26th shutout for the Rays:
| Rk | Player | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Niemann | 3 | Ind. Games |
| 2 | Matt Garza | 3 | Ind. Games |
| 3 | Bobby Witt | 2 | Ind. Games |
| 4 | James Shields | 2 | Ind. Games |
| 5 | Albie Lopez | 2 | Ind. Games |
| 6 | Joe Kennedy | 2 | Ind. Games |
| 7 | Rolando Arrojo | 2 | Ind. Games |
| 8 | Doug Waechter | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 9 | Steve Trachsel | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 10 | Jorge Sosa | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 11 | Andy Sonnanstine | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 12 | David Price | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 13 | Scott Kazmir | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 14 | Edwin Jackson | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 15 | Mark Hendrickson | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 16 | Travis Harper | 1 | Ind. Games |
| 17 | Wade Davis | 1 | Ind. Games |
Garza is one of just a handful of pitchers to do it more than once. Also, am I the only person who forgot that Bobby Witt pitched for the Rays?
Random thought: has any other pitcher ever had a no-hitter and a save in the same season?
July 27th, 2010 at 8:14 am
In ancient times, it was quite common for starters to be used in relief and get saves (although of course no one was awarding saves back then). The first one I looked up was Carl Hubbell, who threw a no-hitter on 8 May 1929 and had one save that season. I'm sure there are many others from the era before relief became a specialty.
Hoyt Wilhelm pitched a no-hitter for Baltimore, 20 September 1958, and had 5 saves that year (for Cleveland, before he was traded to the Orioles).
July 27th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Hopefully nobody considers this threadjacking, but I read something from the AP piece on the game, and I immediately had a bbref-related thought:
>> They didn’t manage a hit Monday off starter Max Scherzer until Matt Joyce’s sixth-inning grand slam.
THAT can't happen often: a no-hitter broken up by a grand slam. Anybody heard of that happening before?
July 27th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Hey, Andy - I was watching the Yankees on YES, so unfortunately I didn't find out until their game ended and Michael Kaye asked "So did Garza get the no-hitter?" I've long been a fan of the Rays and I'm glad they finally got theirs, but as a Mets fan it's hard to see another team leave the Never Had A No-Hitter Club.
For the record, I may have missed a more recent one, but I think the last time a pitcher threw a no-hitter in the same year as he got a Save was Jerry Reuss for the Dodgers in 1980. He began the season as a reliever but got shifted to the rotation in May. His no-hitter was his ninth start and his fourth shutout of the year. Just amazing.
July 27th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Koufax had a save on 8/28/65, a perfect game on 9/9/65, and a save on 9/16/65.
July 27th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Funny...I reacted exactly the same to seeing Bobby Witt's name there. After looking it up, I guess it's not so surprising. One season -- his last full major league season -- with a record of 7-15 and an ERA of 5.84. It just happened to include 3 CG and 2 SHO, the last of his career.
July 27th, 2010 at 10:21 am
With Matt Garza's no-hitter tonight, there have now been three 9 inning shutouts this year where the pitcher faced the minimum of 27 batters (Garza's only baserunner, a walk to Brennan Boesch in the second inning, was erased three pitches later when Ryan Rayburn grounded into a double play). The other two were obviously the perfect games by Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden.
The most 9 inning shutouts facing the minimum of 27 batters in one year occurred in 1988, with 4. The only perfect game that year was Tom Browning. Amazingly, 3 of these 4 shutouts occurred after September 15th: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/shareit/Au2Ya
As you can see, none of the other games were even no-hitters.
In 1990, this happened three times as well: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/shareit/gYDZw
The only no-hitter was by Terry Mulholland. In his game, the lone baserunner reached on an error, and was erased on a double play.
July 27th, 2010 at 10:24 am
All you folks with PI subscriptions are making my job harder--by posting all the interesting stats yourself!
🙂
July 27th, 2010 at 10:27 am
@3
How many former Mets have thrown no-hitters with other clubs? The ones I can remember were Mike Scott, Ryan, Seaver, Cone and Gooden). Not sure if Craig or Spahn threw no-hitters.
July 27th, 2010 at 10:39 am
@3 and @8...
I believe Kevin Kobel firted with 3 hitless innings once. But that is about it.
🙂
July 27th, 2010 at 10:42 am
@Andy: Hey, that's the fun of it!
@John: Previous no-hit bid (5+ innings) broken by a grand slam: Dickie Thon off Frank Viola, 7-23-1990 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199007230.shtml)
July 27th, 2010 at 10:42 am
@ John
Frank Viola (with the Mets, of course) had a no-hitter in the 6th inning before allowing a grand slam to Dickie Thon as the first hit: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199007230.shtml
July 27th, 2010 at 10:44 am
"a no-hitter broken up by a grand slam. Anybody heard of that happening before?"
Yes.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199007230.shtml
July 27th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Anyone ever heard of 3 people posting the same link within 2 minutes of each other? 🙂
July 27th, 2010 at 10:55 am
By the way, the double no-hitter bid in last night's game, lasting 35 outs, is the 6th longest on record. The double no-hitter bid in this year's Cubs-White Sox game (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201006130.shtml), coincidentally also televised by ESPN, tied for 2nd on the list at 41 outs. So yes, there has been a lot of no-hit action this year.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Comparing this year to the last two decades of baseball, are the pitchers better or the hitters worse?
July 27th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
@3 Michael Kay was not present for the YES network last night. In fact, Kenny Singleton, during the post game didn't even get the update about the no-hitter or the conclusion.
Why, can they not make immediate important info avail to all broadcasters in this age of technology. I am able to follow the games using mlb's atbat application for my blackberry while at work in a busy 911 system. I believe that the Yankees TV and Radio broadcasts are severely lacking lately, and maybe it is time for a change there with personalities.
Congrats to Matt Garza on his well earned no hitter.
July 27th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
They did mention the no-hitter on YES when Nancy Newman or whoever it is gave a studio update during the game.
But I agree the Yankee broadcasts are severely lacking, not just lately.
July 27th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
@8
Spahnie threw one, but as a Brave. In the same series, 2 days later, Mays hit 4 HRs in a game. Another reason to love baseball.
July 27th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
@ 17 At least they aren't unrepentant homers. I can't stand the Marlins broadcasters "His name is DAN UGGLA!", or Hawk Harrelson. I like Kay's homer call, but I think the booth is best when it's Leiter and Singleton.
July 27th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Not to get too far off topic, but seeing Bobby Witt's name up there prompted me to check out his career stats, which are remarkably abysmal for pitcher with nearly 2500 innings under their belt. If you haven't already, could you do a post sometime on the worst pitchers with long careers?
July 27th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
So is it safe to say that this is the latest in a game that the first OVERALL hit was a grand slam? If there were only five longer double-no-hit bids, I can't imagine any of them were destroyed by a salami.
July 27th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
While the Mets,
Rockies,Rays, and Padres are still waiting for their first-ever no-hitters, keep in mind also that no team while based in Washington, DC, has had a no-hitter since August 8, 1931. To put that in perspective, Frank Howard, probably the best offensive player of the expansion Senators, wasn't born until the 5th anniversary of that game.Maybe Strasburg will do it one day. Or maybe someone completely unheralded. Or maybe it will never happen again.
July 27th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Last pitcher to throw a no-hitter and earn a save in the same season was Chris Bosio in 1993.
July 27th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Wow... thanks, to the three of you who answered my question: I should have remembered that.
But out of curiosity, is that the only time, or just one that everyone remembered? Is this something that the PI can answer? (Couldn't figure out how, myself... I'm not a true baseball geek anymore. :'( )
July 27th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
It depends, I'm sure, on what you consider a no-hit bid. If you limit it to 5 innings or more, then I can confirm that the only two no-hit bids broken up by grand slams since play-by-play data is available (1950) are this game and the Viola game in 1990.