LA combines to no-hit Padres

MONTERREY, Mexico — The Dodgers have the most nohitters in the majors — and now the most in Mexico, too.

Walker Buehler and a trio of Los Angeles relievers combined for the franchise’s 23rd no-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a neutral-site series Friday night.

Mexico had waited since 1999 to host a regular-season major league game, and it got a historic one: the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada and the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history.

“It was awesome,” Buehler said. “It’s one of those things, to pitch in a place like this, an atmosphere like this, it was awesome.”

Buehler, a 23-year-old taken in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, pitched six innings in his third major league start. The touted righthander struck out eight and walked three over 93 pitches before handing off to left-hander Tony Cingrani, who walked two in the seventh but kept the bid intact.

Yimi Garcia struck out two in a perfect eighth and Adam Liberatore threw a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Franchy Cordero to end it with the Dodgers’ 146th pitch.

That ended a festive night that began with a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela, who became a star in the U.S. and Mexico and set off “Fernandomania” when he became a fan favorite in the 1980s.