Red Sox Matt Young Pitches No Hitter, Loses

There have been 294 official no hitters in baseball history, and four unofficial no hitters when the starter lost in regulation. On this day in 1992, Red Sox starter Matt Young threw one of those losing no-hitters against the Cleveland Indians.

Matt Young may have been one of the more unlikely pitchers to throw a no hitter. He had a career 55-95 record, had only twenty complete games, and had more than half of his appearances as a reliever. With the Red Sox, he made only 24 starts and had but one complete game of his own. But that complete game was certainly memorable.

He started the season in Boston’s rotation, and during his first start of the season in the first game of a double header against the Cleveland Indians, made his way into baseball’s history books. Pitching the only complete game he would have that year, Young had a few command issues, walking seven while striking out six. In his eight innings, Young allowed two earned runs, but did not allow a single hit, throwing the third losing no hitter in major league history.

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The Indians got their first run in the bottom of the first. Young walked leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton, who stole second and third. With one out, Carlos Baerga hit a ground ball to short, which Luis Rivera made an error on, leading to Cleveland’s first run. That inning was a sign of things to come, as it was destined to be one of those days for Young.

Baerga factored in the Indians second run. Young walked Mark Lewis and Lofton to begin the third, and a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners. After Glenallen Hill stole second, Baerga grounded into a fielder’s choice where the second run came in to score.

The Red Sox offense did not do Young any favors either. Indians starter Charles Nagy allowed only a single run in his seven innings of work, scored on Rivera’s bloop single in the top of the fourth inning. Brad Arnsberg and Derek Lilliquist finished off the Red Sox, leaving Young with an unofficial no hitter and a place in baseball history.

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Even if baseball will not officially recognize it, Matt Young threw a no hitter on this day in 1992. Unfortunately, he just came out on the wrong end of the decision.