New York Mets History: Johan Santana Throws No Hitter
By David Hill
It had been over 50 years since the New York Mets first took the field, and not once in that time had they fired a no hitter. That changed on this day in 2012, when Johan Santana ended that streak.
Since the time that the New York Mets came into the majors as an expansion team through June 1, 2012, they had played 8120 games. In that time, 131 no hitters were thrown in the majors. Yet, although former Mets pitchers such as Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Dwight Gooden fired no hitters after leaving the franchise, the Mets still did not have a no hitter of their own.
That changed with Johan Santana. Facing the St. Louis Cardinals, Santana finally got the Mets their first no hitter, as the Mets took a 8-0 victory. Mike Baxter preserved the gem with a running catch of Yadier Molina‘s line drive with one out in the top of the seventh, running into the wall at full speed and being forced from the game.
In the end, Santana walked five, and had eight strikeouts. He also threw an incredible 134 pitches in that outing, a number that was all the more remarkable given his injury history. After all, Santana had missed the entire 2011 campaign with a shoulder injury, providing additional level of concern.
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As it turned out, that concern was warranted, and Santana’s redemption with the Mets faithful would be short lived. He struggled in his next two starts, allowing ten runs on 13 hits and five walks in ten innings. He did finish June out on a strong run, but struggled again in July before heading to the disabled list with a sprained ankle.
Santana came back for two more starts in the middle of August, and that is when the bottom fell out. He lasted for just 6.1 innings over two starts, allowing 14 earned runs before heading back to the disabled list with a back injury. That strained muscle in his back shut Santana down for the rest of the year.
That would be the final time that Santana would take the mound in the majors. In Spring Training the following year, he tore the capsule in his throwing shoulder again, missing the season. He would sign minor league contracts with the Orioles and Blue Jays, but never made the mound for either team. In fact, he would have just one more appearance in game action, retiring the six batters he faced in the Venezuelan Winter League.
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On this day in 2012, John Santana made history for the New York Mets, throwing the first no hitter in team history. However, that performance may have ended his career, as he was just not able to stay healthy afterwards.