In 2012, the New York Mets were celebrating their 50th birthday. Yes, the franchise has had some highs and lows, but two World Series titles and lots of good memories sure stole lots of smiles from people of all generations. In June 1 of that year, Venezuelan lefty Johan Santana made history, becoming the first player of the franchise to pitch a no-hit, no-run.
The achievement was noteworthy for a variety of reasons. First, it was a no-hitter! That has merit on itself. And second, the Mets were, together with the Padres, the only MLB franchise without such a game.
It’s surprising that a franchise that has had some studs on the mound, such as Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, just to name two, didn’t have a no-hitter until Johan Santana’s came in 2012.
The Mets didn’t have a no-hitter!
In fact, Seaver had a perfect game going into the ninth inning in 1969, but Jimmy Qualls broke it with a single.
Santana, who was coming off shoulder surgery, needed 134 pitches to complete the feat against the St. Louis Cardinals. He handed five free passes and used a little help from his teammates, most notably Mike Baxter and a miracle catch in left field. He ended up striking out eight batters.
“I don’t think I’ve ever even thrown a no-hitter in video games,†Santana said that night, according to Anthony DiComo.
Cardinals’ hitter Carlos Beltran, who was appointed to manage the New York Mets this offseason but later parted ways with the team following his appearance in MLB’s report about the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, hit a ball down the left field line that was called foul.
In the end, everything worked out great for Santana and the Mets, and Citi Field fans roared with the game’s last strikeout that sealed Johan Santana’s, and the franchise’s first no-hit, no-run.
The game reaired Tuesday on MLB.com.
You can watch the full game here: