Astros no-hit Yanks behind six pitchers

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Posted 1:50PM on Thursday, June 12, 2003

NEW YORK - The Houston Astros were so busy trotting in relievers at Yankee Stadium that some players lost track of the scoreboard. Hey, guys! It's a no-hitter! The Astros patched together a bizarre performance, with a record six pitchers combining on the first no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 45 years. Closer Billy Wagner stepped on first base for the final out of Wednesday night's 8-0 win, and pumped his fist. While some Astros ran from the dugout to celebrate, others straggled onto the field. "What's amazing is that most of our team didn't know about it," Wagner said. Left fielder Lance Berkman said second baseman Jeff Kent acted puzzled by the hearty high-fives. "He was like, 'What's going on?'" Berkman said. "I said, 'We no-hit them.'" The Astros appeared to be in trouble when ace Roy Oswalt was forced to leave in the second inning because of a strained right groin. But relievers Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Wagner completed the odd gem. It was the most pitchers ever to combine on a no-hitter in the majors - four had twice done the trick. The Yankees had gone 6,980 games - the longest streak in big league history - without being no-hit, since Hoyt Wilhelm's 1-0 victory for Baltimore on Sept. 20, 1958. The last time New York had been held hitless at Yankee Stadium was on Aug. 25, 1952, by Detroit's Virgil Trucks. "This is one of the worst games I've ever been involved in," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It was a total, inexcusable performance." "I can't find a reason for what happened today," he said. "The whole game stunk." The Astros came into Yankee Stadium this week eager to soak up all the history of the ballpark. Wagner talked about being in "awe" of the tradition, Lidge studied the black-and-white photos of famous Yankees outside the New York clubhouse and many other players toured Monument Park. After Oswalt was injured, Munro pitched 2 2-3 innings, Saarloos 1 1-3 innings and Lidge (4-0) went two innings. Dotel worked the eighth, striking out four in an inning for only the 44th time in big league history. Dotel and Wagner combined to strike out eight straight hitters before Hideki Matsui grounded out to end it. "First appearance for most of us in Yankee Stadium," Wagner said. "What better place could there be?" Yankees' fans stood and applauded as the Astros closed it out. "One guy usually goes out there and does it," Astros manager Jimy Williams said. "Maybe two, but not six." Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers combined for a no-hitter for Oakland against California on Sept. 28, 1975. Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson combined for a no-hitter for Baltimore at Oakland on July 13, 1991. The closest New York came to a hit was in the fifth when Alfonso Soriano hit a shallow fly ball that Berkman caught with a tumble. "It wasn't that close," Berkman said. "It probably looked more spectacular than it really was." This was the second no-hitter in the majors this season. Kevin Millwood pitched one for Philadelphia on April 27 against San Francisco. And it came on the 65th anniversary of Johnny Vander Meer's first no-hitter. The only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, he started that streak on June 11, 1938, for Cincinnati against the Boston Braves. Overall, it was the third no-hitter in a game between AL and NL teams, and all of them have been at Yankee Stadium. The other two were perfect games - Don Larsen did it against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series and David Cone did it against Montreal on July 18, 1999. Back on July 12, 1990, Melido Perez of the Chicago White Sox held New York hitless in a game shortened to six innings by rain at Yankee Stadium. Because the game did not go nine innings, Perez is not officially credited with a no-hitter.