Making History

In the last month, there have two no-hitters in MLB. This year seems to be another year for the pitchers.

Image credit to mister-baseball.com

The first no-hitter in the last month, was a combined game by the Seattle Mariners' against the LA Dodgers. Kevin Mildwood pitched six perfect innings, before being replaced due to a groin injury. For the remaining three innings, five other pitchers kept the no-hitter alive. Closer Tony Wilhelmsen got the save, and reliever Stephen Pryor got the win. The final score was 1-0. The Mariners had a total of eight hits, but left runners stranded in scoring position, and couldn't convert their hits into runs.


In all of MLB history, this is the tenth recorded combined no-hitter that a pitching staff has produced. This is Seattle's first no-hitter since 1993, against the Boston Red Sox. This no-hitter is the fourth of the season, with the season just about halfway done.

Image credit to giants.facebook.com

The second came from the San Francisco Giants against the Houston Astros. Matt Cain earned his first perfect game, marking the fifth of the season. It was the first for the SF franchise and the twenty-second in Major League Baseball history. Early on, the Giants were dominate. They had fifteen hits, and scored ten runs. Cain had a lot of help from his outfielders. Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco both chased down deep balls in their respective areas. Matt Cain later said that those two catches saved his perfect game.


It wast the fifth time that the Houston Astros have been held to a no-hitter.  The last time was the Chicago Cubs in 2008. 2008 was the year that the San Francisco Giants won their first franchise World Series.


In all of MLB, there haven't been five no-hitters by June, except in the 1917 season. In 1990, by the end of July, there were five no-hitters, but never before have so many come so early in the season. Older players such as Dallas Braden (of the Oakland Athletics) have called this season the "Era of the Pitchers". Only time will tell if this season really is the pitcher's year.