Lowe Throws No-Hitter for Red Sox

AP ^ | 4-27-2002

[Cagey]

BOSTON (AP) - Derek Lowe, who couldn't keep his job as a closer, pitched the first no-hitter at Fenway Park since 1965, leading the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-0 Saturday.

Lowe, was six outs short of a no-hitter in his first start of the season on April 5 at Baltimore, allowed only one runner - a walk to Brent Abernathy leading off the third inning.

The Devil Rays were held hitless for the first time in their five-season history. The closest they came to a hit was on Steve Cox's liner that right fielder Trot Nixon caught on the run in the fourth.

The last no-hitter at Fenway was by Red Sox right-hander Dave Morehead on Sept. 16, 1965. Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees was one strike away from a perfect game at Fenway last Sept. 2 before pinch-hitter Carl Everett singled.

Lowe struck out six. He breezed through the ninth, retiring Russ Johnson on a soft liner, getting Felix Escalona on a fly ball and wrapping it up with Jason Tyner's easy grounder to second baseman Rey Sanchez.

After the final out, Lowe hugged third baseman Shea Hillenbrand, and then was surrounded by teammates as the sellout crowd of 32,837 cheered. He waved his hat to the fans several times as he walked to the dugout.

Fans at the NHL playoff game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens rose to a standing ovation when news of Lowe's feat was put on the FleetCenter video board.

Hideo Nomo pitched the last no-hitter for the Red Sox, on April 4, 2001, at Baltimore.

Lowe (4-1) struggled as Boston's closer last year before being moved into the rotation in September.

The 28-year-old righty has done well in his new role - obviously.

[baseballfanjm]

It seems like all no-nos are against bad teams.

[BluesDuke]

How bout that.

A lovely game, too. He worked that lineup brilliantly.

[BluesDuke]

And now the Red Sox off to a 15-6 start with solid pitching, excellent fielding, hitting and baserunning.

Okay...then how and when's it going to happen? *wink*

Ray Goulding, of the famed Bob and Ray radio team: On my tombstone it is going to read, CAUSE OF DEATH - BOSTON RED SOX.

[ilgipper]

I'll check the standings too because the Skankees will be 7 games out of first place by then.

Yeah right. Boston's playing out of their mind, and the Yankees are just just getting warmed up. Boston will hit the skids well before the break.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

your on

[BluesDuke]

It seems like all no-nos are against bad teams.

Ain't necessarily so...

- Don Larsen tossed a perfect game agains the Brooklyn Dodgers - in the World Series, in 1956.
- 1968, two pennant contenders, San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, no-hit each other back-to-back. Gaylord Perry of the Giants no-hit the Cardinals the night before Ray Washburn of the Cardinals no-hit the Giants.
- Sandy Koufax had one no-hitter in each of four straight seasons, two of which - 1963, 1964 - were against teams against whom the Dodgers were battling in a pennant race (the Giants in 1963, the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964)
- Johnny Vander Meer's second of two consecutive no-hitters was against a Brooklyn club beginning its return to contending status (it was Leo Durocher's first year as manager of the Bums).
- The second of Bob Feller's three no-hitters was against the Yankees in 1946...his third, in 1951, was against a Detroit Tiger team that was a strong enough pennant contender.
- Allie Reynolds no-hit the contending Indians for the first of his two 1951 no-hitters; his second of that season, against the Red Sox, clinched the pennant for the Yankees.
- Dennis Eckersley threw a no-hitter for the Indians in 1977; Dennis the Menace beat Frank Tanana and the California Angels, who were making something of a play in the American League West at the time, and Tanana had thrown three shutouts in his previous four starts before that game.
- Nolan Ryan's fifth no-hitter, in 1981, was against the eventual World Series champion Dodgers; he'd previously no-hit the perennially contending Baltimore Orioles twice during the 1970s; his sixth no-no polished off the Oakland A's - as in, the defending World Champion Oakland A's, in 1990.
- Dwight Gooden pitched a no-hitter in 1996...for the Yankees, against their subsquent post-season conquest that year, the Seattle Mariners.

[BostonGuy]

Big amen to that. Harrington was *horrible* - at the very least, a classic case of a guy in way over his head and unable to make the tough calls. Regardless of how this season turns out, I have been very impressed with the new owners. Even if we don't go all the way, or even fall apart like last year, I will finally have faith that the people in control will be able, or at least *willing*, to make the necessary changes.

But hey, this is no day for complaining - I can't think of anyone more deserving of this than Lowe. I felt horrible for him last year, even as I booed (more for Jimy for not making a change), and I'm really glad he's found some redemption!

[baseballfanjm]

Okay......
Well, that is going a while back. But as of late it seems that no-no's have come against lousy teams. Not that it takes away anything from the accomplishment (I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan myself). After all, a 7-hit 1-run performence against the Devil Rays is still lauded, let alone a no-hitter.

[BostonGuy]

Certainly the Orioles & Devil Rays (our two most recent no-hit victims) are terrible, and I seem to recall that several other recent victims were also lousy...but a large part of why those teams are considered so bad is their terrible pitching. Even the worst teams have a few good sluggers, although they may have more bad hitters than the good teams. I think a no-hitter against the Rays means more than a 10 run explosion against them...*anyone* can hit 10 runs off their pitching, but I haven't seen the Skankees no hit either team recently...

[baseballmom]

Wow, what a great day for Lowe. I don't care who you are playing against in the Major's, a no hitter is awesome.

I think my poor Phillies - bless their hearts - have some pitchers on their roster..... I'm sure they must.... isn't having pitchers on the roster a requirement???? :-(

[baseballfanjm]

That's true. And also, bad offenses are judged by runs, not hits. Teams with bad offenses are not really the teams that can't get hits, they're teams that can't get walks and drive in runners already on base.

[angcat]

or bucky dent..........heheheheeheheheheh

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"Yeah right. Boston's playing out of their mind, and the Yankees are just just getting warmed up. Boston will hit the skids well before the break. "

Probably true. That's where the smart money goes. But I'm a Red Slobs fan. I can hope and dream can't I?
That's all we have left. Don't take that away from us.

[ozone1]

Headline Oct 12, 1967, Boston Record American
Series Ours Today

[PGalt]

Congratulations to the Dearborn Edsel Ford High School graduate.

[Revolting cat!]

Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens, someone said or sang, but so is a perfect baseball game I've often thought. Imagine, a no hitter by both teams. Ah, I can dream can't I?

[SamAdams76]

Seattle just got a hit off Lilly in the botom of the 8th inning. Bummer! Even worse, that single drove in a run and now Seattle leads 1-0, so Lilly might even lose the game to boot.