Cincinnati Reds History: Homer Bailey Throws Second Career No Hitter
By David Hill
There was a time when Homer Bailey was one of the upcoming pitching stars in the game. On this day in 2013, the Cincinnati Reds pitcher threw the first no hitter of the 2013 season.
For years, Homer Bailey was one of the top pitching prospects in the game. He made his debut in 2007, but it took until 2012 before Bailey began to show that promise from his minor league days. That season, he led the league with 33 starts, and produced a 13-10 record with a 3.698 ERA and a 1.240 WHiP. Bailey also threw the final no hitter of the 2012 campaign, blanking the Pirates on September 28 in the Cincinnati Reds 10-0 victory.
Through the first three months of the 2013 campaign, no one had thrown a no hitter. That is, until this day, when Bailey struck again. This time, he shut down the San Francisco Giants, earning a 4-0 victory as he threw his second career no hitter. In doing so, he became the third Reds pitcher with two career no hitters, joining Johnny Vander Meer and Jim Maloney in that fraternity.
Bailey needed some help to preserve his gem. He walked Gregor Blanco to lead off the seventh, who would end up being the only baserunner he allowed. Blanco moved to second on a groundout, bringing Buster Posey to bat. Posey hit a soft liner to first, where Joey Votto fielded the hit on a hop. As Bailey was late heading to cover the bag, Votto threw to third, catching Blanco in a fielder’s choice, taking away a sure hit from Posey.
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That was the only hiccup that Bailey had as he dominated San Francisco. He threw 109 pitches, 71 for strikes, and have just five three ball counts. He struck out nine batters, and even had an infield single.
As he also threw the final no hitter in 2012, Bailey had the odd distinction of throwing the two most recent no hitters in the majors at the time. That had not happened since 1975, when Nolan Ryan was in his prime.
That no hitter would be the highlight of what may have been Bailey’s best season. While he was only 11-12, his 3.49 ERA, 1.124 WHiP and 199 strikeouts were all career highs. It was understandable that the Reds would sign Bailey to a long term deal prior to the 2014 season, as his age 27 season looked as though he was set for stardom. Instead, since then, he has battled injuries and ineffectiveness, while his extension is looked upon with derision.
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On this day in 2013, Homer Bailey became the third member of the Cincinnati Reds to throw his second no hitter. It would also prove to be one of the final highlights of his career, at least thus far.