The Oakland A’s are on a quest for five,000 this season.
No, this isn’t some type of joke about paltry attendance figures. The A’s have an opportunity to increase their hit streak to five,000 video games.
The A’s have gone longer with out being on the improper aspect of a no-hitter than any of the opposite 29 Main League franchises. They have been final no-hit by Bob Milacki and three Baltimore Orioles relievers on July 13, 1991.
Since then, each different workforce has been the sufferer of a no-hitter. The A’s themselves have thrown three of them (Dallas Braden’s good recreation in 2010, Sean Manaea in 2018 and Mike Fiers in 2019). Over the past 32 years, A’s groups have ranged from shedding 102 video games to successful 103, however all of them have one factor in frequent: They’ve gotten not less than one hit in all 4,929 video games.
There have been some shut calls, although. The 2022 workforce, whose 60-102 report was the franchise’s worst since 1979, was hitless by six innings on a pair of events. Elvis Andrus broke up Justin Verlander’s no-hit bid when he doubled with two outs within the backside of the seventh on June 1, and Conner Capel singled with two outs within the eighth off Shohei Ohtani on September 29 in Anaheim.
Ohtani awaits the A’s on Thursday night time, and his Los Angeles Angels teammate, Patrick Sandoval, looms on Saturday after a robust exhibiting for Mexico on the World Baseball Basic. The A’s additionally journey to Anaheim for a four-game collection later in April.
Barring any rainouts or different postponements, recreation No. 5,000 could be June 15, a Thursday afternoon matinee in opposition to the Tampa Bay Rays. To get that far, the A’s won’t solely need to survive Ohtani, but in addition take care of the likes of Shane Bieber, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander and loads of different aces.
Oakland inherited the longest streak on April 21, 2016 when Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta no-hit the Cincinnati Reds, ending Cincinnati’s 7,109-game run. A 12 months earlier, Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs in his last recreation with the Philadelphia Phillies, ending a streak of seven,920 video games that began in 1965.
Solely as soon as within the present 4,929-game run has an opposing pitcher gotten to 2 outs within the ninth. Failed online game entrepreneur-turned right-wing extremist Curt Schilling had the A’s on the ropes on June 7, 2007, just for Shannon Stewart to single by the opening on the fitting aspect. Opposing pitchers have made it to the ninth inning 5 different occasions; Randy Johnson did it twice for the Seattle Mariners inside the streak’s first three years. Mike Foltynewicz of the Atlanta Braves had the A’s hitless by eight innings on June 30, 2017, just for present Courageous Matt Olson to guide off the ninth with a solo homer.
Ohtani’s September 2022 bid was the ninth to be damaged up within the eighth inning, whereas 17 others, together with Verlander’s, have been thwarted within the seventh.
Behind the A’s, the Washington Nationals have the following longest streak. The final time they have been no-hit was once they have been nonetheless the Montreal Expos, who have been victims of David Cone’s good recreation on July 18, 1999. Lane Thomas led off the underside of the primary inning on Thursday with a single, giving the franchise a success in 3,697 consecutive video
games, together with all 2,813 since transferring to America.
Ethan Kassel may be reached at [email protected]