Unrivaled no-hit feat turns 85 years old

Johnny Vander Meer Robert E. Stigers, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Unrivaled no-hit feat celebrates 85th anniversary

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 6/15/23

On June 15, 1938, 85 years ago Thursday, Cincinnati Reds' Johnny Vander Meer accomplished a remarkable feat no other pitcher has replicated.

With the great Babe Ruth in attendance, Vander Meer became the first pitcher to toss consecutive no-hitters, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-0 in the first night game at the legendary Ebbets Field.

In Vander Meer's previous start (four days earlier), the 24-year-old kept the Boston Bees hit-less, setting the stage for history against the Dodgers.

Known as "Double No-Hit," Vander Meer pitched 11 more seasons in the majors without ever throwing another no-hitter. A four-time All-Star, one-time World Series Champion (1940) and the Major League Player of the Year in 1938, Vander Meer retired after the 1951 season. He finished up with a 119-121 record and a 3.44 ERA over 13 MLB seasons.

Overall, 35 big-league pitchers have thrown multiple no-hitters during their careers. Along with Vander Meer, only four others have done so in the same regular season – Allie Reynolds (1951), Virgil Trucks (1952), Nolan Ryan (1973) and Max Scherzer (2015).

The late Roy Halladay also threw two no-hitters in 2010 for the Philadelphia Phillies, one of which came in the postseason. Halladay dominated the Reds in Game 1 of the National League Divison Series, notching the first postseason no-hitter in baseball since Don Larsen's perfect game for the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

In more recent baseball history, Houston Astros hurlers Cristian Javier and Ryan Pressly earned an unusual distinction in 2022. Javier started each of Houston's two combined no-hitters, while Pressly closed both out, including only the third postseason no-no in Game 4 of the World Series.

So far this season, Kyle Hendricks, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have come close to throwing no-hitters, but we're still looking for the first of 2023. Along with the trio mentioned above, there are several candidates, including Shohei Ohtani, who leads MLB in fewest hits allowed per nine (5.3).

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