Blake Snell was just one out away from the first no-hit game of his illustrious career and had to retire Reds power hitter Elly De La Cruz one more time.
Cruz jumped on Snell’s first pitch, a 97.8 mph fastball to the middle of the zone, and ripped it hard toward the gap in right-center field. Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski – brought on for defensive purposes in the eighth inning – ran it down, leaped to make the catch and preserve Snell’s gem and 3-0 victory.
The 31-year-old left-hander, the league’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, was overwhelmed by his teammates in the third no-hitter in the majors this season.
“You’re so excited in the last inning, you can make that pitch if you just try to throw it as hard as you can to the plate,” Snell said.
“I’m still in a bit of shock,” he said. “I need to go home and let it sink in. I haven’t really processed the game yet.”
Snell (1-3) struck out 10 batters and threw 114 pitches, 78 of them strikes. He said he entered the ninth inning throwing strikes because he was afraid Giants manager Bob Melvin would remove him at 120 pitches. He wanted to go the distance, something he had never done in 202 major league starts.
“I knew in my head I had to get it over the plate,” he said. It took him 10 pitches to retire Santiago Espinal and get Jonathan India on a comebacker before De La Cruz struck out in the 11th.
Melvin said he actually wanted to take Snell out if he had allowed a hit in the ninth inning. He kept a close eye on Snell, as the pitcher started to get a blister around the seventh inning.
“I haven’t been this nervous in a long time,” Melvin said. “I wanted that for him so bad. If anybody has what it takes to throw a no-hitter, it’s Blake Snell.”
Snell was particularly effective against the top of Cincinnati’s batting order, knocking out India three times and De La Cruz and Spencer Steer twice each.
Snell recorded the 18th no-hitter in Giants franchise history. Houston’s Ronald Blanco no-hit Toronto on April 1, and San Diego’s Dylan Cease threw a no-hitter against Washington on July 25.
“I don’t think it’s going to be his only one,” said Reds pitcher Nick Martinez, who played with Snell in San Diego last season. “He handled the ball really well. It seemed like he didn’t miss a point all night. He’s got an electric thing.”
Casey Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald hit home runs for the Giants on Friday.
Snell threw six perfect innings against Minnesota on July 14, before the Twins’ Manuel Margot singled in the seventh inning. He struck out 15 batters in his last outing on July 27, allowing two hits in 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, becoming the seventh player in major league history to win the award in both leagues. He signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the Giants before the season.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Snell became the fifth reigning Cy Young Award winner to throw a no-hitter, joining Jake Arrieta (2016), Clayton Kershaw (2014), Bob Gibson (1971) and Sandy Koufax (1964).
The Giants’ last no-hitter was thrown by Chris Heston on June 19, 2015, when San Francisco defeated the New York Mets 5–0.
The last time the Reds had a base hit was on May 17, 2019, when Mike Fiers lost 2-0 to the Oakland A’s.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott lasted just 4 1/3 innings in Friday’s game, allowing two runs and seven hits. He struck out eight.