There have been 323 no-hitters tossed in MLB history. The most recent no-hitter occurred on April 1 when the Houston Astros’ Ronel Blanco no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays. Blanco’s no-hitter is number 17 for the Houston Colt .45/Astro franchise. The franchise with the most no-hitters thrown is the Dodgers with 26. The Chicago White Stockings/White Sox franchise is second with 20 no-hitters. Every team in the league has fallen victim to a no-hitter at least twice. The Philadelphia Quakers/Phillies have been no-hit an astounding 21 times! The Cleveland Guardian franchise owns the longest drought since their last no-hitter with 42 years. Next in line is the Los Angeles Angels with 25 years.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays franchise have thrown only one no-hitter. Matt Garza threw the only no-hitter in franchise history. The game took place at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010. It was a Monday night game with an attendance of 17,009 and the game was scoreless until the sixth inning. Designated hitter Matt Joyce provided all the run support for Garza with one swing of the bat, in the bottom half of the sixth inning. The sacks were juiced with Rays when Joyce sent his third homer of the season to the seats in right field as the Rays took an aggressive 4-0 lead. Two innings later, Carl Crawford provided an insurance run with a solo homer to center field. A walk to right fielder Brennan Boesch was the thing that stood between Garza and baseball immortality by pitching a perfect game.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Rays franchise have been victims of six no-hitters. To add insult to injury, three of the no-hitters against the Rays were perfect games. The first no-hitter against the Rays took place at Fenway Park in 2002. Derek Lowe and the Red Sox destroyed the Rays 10-0. In 2009, in Chicago playing the White Sox, Mark Buehrle was perfect. Buehrle threw the 18th perfect game in MLB history against the Rays. The next season, 2010, was tough for the Rays. The Rays suffered through two no-hitters. Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics pitched a 4-0 perfect game on May 9, 2010. Nearly 45 days later, June 25, 2010, Edwin Jackson of the Arizona Diamondback no-hit the Rays at Tropicana Field. On August 15, 2012, Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez was at his prime. He reached his apex by tossing a perfect game at Safeco Field. A decade passed before the next no-hitter. This one took place in Los Angeles as the Angels had their way with the Rays 12-0. Jackson’s no-hitter is the only one that took place at Tropicana Field.
There have been only 24 (21 since 1900) perfect games in MLB history. The rarity of this accomplishment is at an unprecedented level. Strikeout King Nolan Ryan (5714 strikeouts) and Shutout King Walter Johnson (110 shutouts) have never pitched a perfect game. Combined these two pitchers have started 1439 games and played 48 seasons. Cy Young holds the record wins as a pitcher with 511 and has achieved this feat once. Six of the 24 perfect games pitchers are in the Hall of Fame.
It makes sense that the older franchises have thrown more no-hitters. Teams like the Dodgers, White Sox, Red Sox, Giants, Reds, and the Braves predate the American League. The Dodgers history can be traced back as far as 1870. Brooklyn, prior to its annexation into New York City in 1898, was a hot bed for baseball and leagues at various levels.
It is only a matter of time until the Rays throw their first perfect game and their second no-hitter. But who will do it? What team will it be against?
