San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell threw the third no-hitter of the major league season, blanking the Reds 3-0 in the first complete game of his career Friday night.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner walked three and threw 114 pitches, 78 for strikes, in his first complete game in 202 major league starts.
The 31-year-old Snell sailed into the ninth inning, striking out Santiago Espinal and inducing a soft come-backer from leadoff man Jonathan India. Then came Elly De La Cruz, who ripped Snell’s first pitch, a 97.8-mph fastball, to the right-center field gap, but right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski ran it down and leaped to make the catch. Snell’s teammates mobbed him.
“Seventh inning I felt a little tired, and then I kind of looked at the scoreboard and that’s when I noticed [the no-hitter], and I said, ‘You better wake up,'” Snell told NBC Sports Bay Area on the telecast.
“What a feeling,” a jubilant Snell added.
Snell was especially effective against the top of Cincinnati’s order, striking out India three times, and De La Cruz and Spencer Steer twice each.
Snell recorded the 18th no-hitter in Giants’ franchise history to make it three in the majors this season. Houston’s Ronal Blanco no-hit Toronto on April 1, and San Diego’s Dylan Cease pitched a no-hitter against Washington on July 25.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Snell had never completed even eight innings before throwing his no-hitter, giving him his first complete game in his 202nd career start. Only two pitchers have made more starts before their first nine-inning complete game and no pitcher had made more starts at the time of their first complete game, which was a no-hitter.
Snell’s combined 26 strikeouts from Friday’s 11 strikeouts and the 15 he recorded in his previous start are tied for the second most in a two-game span by a Giants pitcher since 1900.
Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald homered for the Giants on Friday.
Snell threw six perfect innings against Minnesota on July 14, before the Twins’ Manuel Margot singled leading off seventh inning. He struck out 15 in his last outing on July 27, yielding two hits through six innings.
He won the Cy Young Award while playing for San Diego last season after winning it in 2018 as a Tampa Bay Ray. He became the seventh player in major league history to win the award in both leagues.
The last no-hitter for the Giants was by Chris Heston on June 19, 2015, as San Francisco beat the New York Mets 5-0.
The Reds were last no-hit on May 17, 2019, by Mike Fiers of the Oakland A’s in a 2-0 loss.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott lasted just 4 1/3 innings on Friday, allowing two runs and seven hits. He struck out eight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.