So is there something to be said that is this the year of the pitcher? Where 5 pitchers have thrown no-hitters or perfect games, well this year a lot of history has been made and the baseball season isn't even over yet. It’s something that a lot of baseball fans haven't seen in two decades where 5 pitchers have thrown No-Hitters or Perfect Games.
First No-Hitter came back on April 17th where Ubaldo Jimenez gave up 6 walks in the game against the Braves but still threw the first no-hitter of the season, his career, and in Rookies history. At that time we said to our self's "Okay it's too early to say it’s The Year of the Pitcher and who knows when another no-hitter or perfect game would happen again". The last perfect game thrown was by White Soxs pitcher Mark Buehrle's back last year against the Tampa Bay Rays. Before that Randy Johnson was the last pitcher to throw a perfect game back in 2004, so a lot people said who knows when will see another perfect game again its one of the hardest things to do in baseball.
Second No-Hitter came back on May 9th on Mother's Day and beyond a no-hitter it was something more than just that. Dallas Braden was a pitcher who people didn't even know who he was besides the part where people knew him as the guy who told A-Rod "Get off My Mound" he is a pitcher that will go in the record books by being the 20th man in baseball history to throw a perfect game. Yes on May 9th he did the unexpected as a pitcher and threw a perfect game and against a team that has been thrown against perfection before the Tampa Bay Rays. It's something that is pretty crazy from a baseball stand point that the previous prefect game was thrown against the Tampa Bay Rays and now the first perfect game of the 2010 season came against the Rays again. Now everyone is wondering when will perfection strike again?
Third No-Hitter came almost 3 weeks later on May 29th, Phillies new ace Roy Halladay who many would have thought this guy has to have a no-hitter or perfect game in his career already. Well on May 29th it will be a day that Phillies fans will never forget as Halladay became 21st pitcher in history to throw a perfect game!! Now to think that 2 perfect games happened in the same month almost 3 weeks apart is something that has never been heard of before. Braden and Halladay would be the first 2 players to ever do that in baseball history. The team he did it against was the Marlins and in a 1-0 ball game. Now everyone must be saying to themselves this is nuts and it’s like the year of the pitcher but it only gets better.
Fourth No-Hitter came almost a month later on June 25th and pitcher Edwin Jackson started this game off as he looked to be the losing pitcher. At one point in this game he had the bases loaded with no outs and somehow got out of the inning with no hits or a run scored. Jackson in 9th inning had 140 pitches thrown with 8 walks, and still no hits. In the end Jackson became the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter on 8 walks and 149 pitches thrown, WOW! It's funny to say that he would have thrown a no hitter the way the game started, also another fun fact is the team he did it against was already thrown to perfection twice and it was yet again the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have seen it all they have been on the other side of seeing 2 perfect games against them and no-hitter thrown against on their own home field. Jackson would also become the second pitcher in Diamondbacks history to throw a no-hitter. The D-Backs last pitcher to do so was Randy Johnson. Now it is clear this has to be "The Year of the Pitcher".
Fifth No-Hitter came a month and a day later on July 26th after Jackson threw his no-hitter and it all happened again on the same field. Would it be the Rays to throw a no-hitter or would they get no-hit again? Well it was a pitching matchup where both pitchers Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays and Max Scherzer from the Detroit Tigers were both throwing no-hitters. In the 6th inning Scherzer would give a grand slam and his no-no would be over. But on the other hand Matt Garza had it working only giving up 1 walk back in the second. He would come in the 9th inning just needing 3 outs from throwing the 5th no-hitter this season, he became the 268 pitcher to do so and became the first pitcher in Rays history to throw a no-hitter. So the like I said before the Rays have been through it all. They have been on the side of having 2 perfect games thrown against them; having a no-hitter thrown against them, and having their pitcher throw a no-hitter. The crazy thing is it happened on the same field a month and a day later after Jackson threw his no-hitter on the same field against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Perfect Game almost thrown.
We start with Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga where is was on the verge of becoming the 22nd pitcher in history to threw a perfect and just after seeing Roy Halladay throw a perfect game Galarraga wanted a piece of the action but would be overruled by umpire Jim Joyce who got voted as one on the best umpires in the game blew the call by a long shot. Jason Donald hit a weak ground ball to first with Galarraga covering first with 2 outs Donald was called safe! When we saw the replay it was clear that he was out by a foot step. Galarraga went 8 2/3 innings with a perfect game and a no-hitter back on June 2nd.
Now we talk about Reds pitcher Travis Wood on July 10th almost threw a perfect game against the Phillies and the pitcher he was pitching against was the man who already threw a perfect game this season and that was Roy Halladay. Wood went into the bottom of the 9th inning with the score still 0-0 and not giving up a hit, a walk or a run would fade as he would give up his first hit in the game to Carlos Ruiz. Wood almost threw the 3rd perfect game this season and could have the 22nd pitcher to do so, but even if he didn't give up a hit in that inning he would still have to pitch in the 10th inning hoping his team would get him a run to get a perfect game or no-hitter.
So the year of the pitcher has some crazy facts, in the first 4 months of baseball there has been a No-Hitter or Perfect Game thrown in each month and 2 of those no-hitters have been perfect games in the same month. Also the last 3 no-hitters thrown have came days apart from each other in each month’s time. Halladay - May 29th, Jackson - June 25th, and now Garza - July 26th. It's also the first time 5 or more pitchers haven thrown no-hitters or perfect game since 1991 where 7 pitchers threw perfect games or no-hitters. But that fact is the game today is so much more different then it was in 1991 where in today's game it so hard to do that because pitch counts come in effect and teams are so much better than they were back in 1991. Today's teams have at least 3 or more superstars on their team and to have 5 pitchers throw no-hitters against today’s team is just something words cannot explain. I mean we could easily have 7 no-hitters on the year and 4 of them being perfect games. Imagine that 4 perfect in 1 year, boy it would be more than the year of the pitcher. The only question is now who will be the next pitcher to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game, only time will tell when perfection or no-hit baseball will happen again.
This is Beyond the 5 Pitchers, This is Beyond Baseball.
No comments:
Post a Comment