Santana throws Mets’ first no-hitter.
Mets ace tosses first no-hitter in team history
NEW YORK – For 8,019 games, across 51 seasons, it had never happened for the New York Mets. Not at the Polo Grounds, not at Shea Stadium, not at Citi Field, not on the road. Not for Ryan or Seaver, not for Koosman or Matlack, not for Gooden or Cone, not for Leiter or Glavine. No Mets pitcher had ever thrown a no-hitter. Not until Friday.
Johan Santana finally did it, twirling an 8-0 gem against the St. Louis Cardinals, the defending World Series champions. He struck out eight, walked five and threw 134 pitches, 19 more than manager Terry Collins had said would be his limit. Santana is coming off serious shoulder surgery, but Collins did not stand in the way of history.
The crowd, announced at 27,069, stood and roared as Santana’s final slider buckled under the bat of David Freese to end the game. Catcher Josh Thole raced to the mound to embrace Santana as teammates swarmed them on the infield.
“It’s the greatest feeling ever,” Santana said on SNY, adding later: “He was not going to take me out of the game. No chance.”
Only Tom Seaver had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning for the Mets, losing his bids in 1969 and 1972. There were 131 other no-hitters in the major leagues during the Mets’ existence, and now the San Diego Padres stand as the only franchise without one.
It was the second shutout in a row for Santana, who sometimes struggled with his fastball command on a windy night. But he used his change-up and slider to devastating effect, and after a year off recovering from the operation, Santana has reclaimed his status as an ace.