MLB: Ranking the 2012 No-Hitters

As the 2012 MLB season is over, many tears have been shed for Chipper Jones retiring and many jaws have dropped towards the numerous amount of no-hitters this season. Seven of the 278 no-hitters thrown have been thrown this year, and three of which were perfect games. During the season, there was a combined no-hitter, the first no-hitter in New York Mets history, and many others. But of all the no-hitters thrown this year, which one was the best? Let’s count down from number seven:

7. Seattle Mariners’ Combined No-Hitter vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Kevin Millwood started on June 8th when the Seattle Mariners threw a combined no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Looking back to 2003, Kevin Millwood did already one no-hitter under his belt with the Philadelphia Phillies before this game. Having to leave the 7th inning with a groin injury, the manager, Eric Wedge went straight to reliever Charlie Furbush. Following Furbush, four other relievers contributed to the no-hitter including Tom Wilhelmsen the closer of the game

Overall, the Seattle pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and threw 114 pitches. But deciding where this no-hitter ranked was very difficult due to the quality of the no-hitters thrown this season. Ironically, the Dodgers didn’t have their best lineup out that game, having Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu as their clean-up and number five hitter. Although the Mariners got lucky facing the Dodgers in June rather than August, their no-no is still legit.

6. Philip Humber Perfect Game vs. Seattle Mariners:

Phillip Humber of the Chicago White Sox was the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the 2012 season. To make things even more special, it was a perfect game. The ironic thing is that the date was April 21st, and the perfect game thrown was the 21st in MLB history. Humber entered this season with a career 4.12 ERA, so the perfect game was a big surprise. Humber has been to many teams, but team number six (White Sox) got his best game. Humber struck out nine in just 96 pitches, shutting out the weak offense in the Seattle Mariners.

There was a controversial call pertaining to the game, with Brendan Ryan striking out. It looked like Ryan checked his swing, but home plate ump Brian Runge punched him out. This game could have ended differently, Humber would have had a chance at a no-hitter and Ryan would have walked. But a perfect games a perfect game, so Humber is worthy of being in this list.

5. Jered Weaver No Hitter vs. Minnesota Twins:

On May 2nd, Jered Weaver’s season was about to take an all-time high. This 20-game winner turned the Angels season around after this game, but not good enough to make the playoffs. When Weaver threw this no-hitter, Albert Pujols was in his slump and Mike Trout wasn’t on fire.

Weaver punched out nine batters in just 121 pitches, achieving his first career no-hitter. The Angels offense showed up that night, scoring a total of nine runs. So what if he faced a Minnesota Twins lineup, they have some good hitters there unlike the lineups of the Dodgers and Mariners the day they were no-hit. Overall, I say it was a very good game for Weaver, and he is well deserving as the fifth best no-hitter in the 2012 season.

4. Homer Bailey No-Hitter vs. Pittsburgh Pirates:

Homer Bailey was the last pitcher to throw a no-hitter this sesaon. He threw this on September 28th, in his second to last start before the playoffs. Bailey added a no-hitter to the line of quality starts he has had. Bailey was on a hot-streak and when he faced the Pirates, it was obvious another great start was in the future. But nobody thought it would end up being a no-hitter.

Needing only 115 pitches to throw the no-hitter, he struck out ten hitters, and after a third inning error by Scott Rolen, Bailey only walked Andrew McCutchen in the seventh. Other than those two plays, Bailey was the exact definition of flawless and very close to achieving a perfect game on the road. Bailey needed to face McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez multiple times, who are not easy outs. The Cincinnati Reds provided only one run of support, but that was enough for Homer Bailey.

3. Johan Santana No-Hitter vs. St. Louis Cardinals:

Johan Santana finally achieved the task of a no-hitter for the New York Mets. It was the first no-hitter ever thrown by a Mets pitcher. To show how hard it was, Santana accomplished this special moment against the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals. He didn’t have an easy team like the Pirates or the Twins, but he took what was given, and turned the outing into a historical one. There was no question who the best offensive team in baseball at the time was, it was the St. Louis Cardinals.

The game wasn’t easy, as Johan needed 134 pitches to throw the no-hitter. He had eight strikeouts, but got tagged for five walks. The Cardinal’s lineup consisted of red-hot batters Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, David Freese, and Yadier Molina, who worked Johan to the 134 pitches. There was a controversial call in the game between a foul ball. Carlos Beltran hit a blazing liner over the third base bag, but to a birds-eye view, it looked foul. But when you look closer, you see the ball nicked the foul line, making it a hit. But any ump would have called it foul, so Johan’s no-hitter was still hard to get.

2. Matt Cain Perfect Game vs. Houston Astros:

Matt Cain was noting but perfect on June 13th. Literally. Cain finally proved himself as an elite pitcher, although some can argue he was before this event. Cain punched out fourteen hitters in 125 pitches, but it was against a weak Astros lineup. There also was some defensive help throughout the game. Outfielders Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco made outstanding catches to keep the perfect game in tact. Cain did make history, tying Sandy Koufax for the most strikeouts in a perfect game (14). This outing would be number one, but again he faced a very weak Astros lineup.

The Astros offense was practically Jed Lowrie, J.D. Martinez, and Jordan Schafer. Other than that, the hitters were handled easily by Matt Cain. There were no worries for Matt Cain, as the Giants provided ten runs to support Cain’s outstanding performance. This perfect game was the 22nd in history, and truly a special one for him.

1. Felix Hernandez Perfect Game vs. Tampa Bay Rays: