The Atlanta Braves first no hitter in their current home was pitched by Phil Niekro in 1973. Their second no hitter while located in Atlanta was a true team effort.
There have been 295 no hitters in MLB history. Of those, eleven have been combined no hitters, with two or more pitchers contributing to make history. In fact, a combined no hitter is rarer than a perfect game or a player hitting four home runs in a single contest. It is truly a spectacle to behold when one happens.
On this day in 1991, the Atlanta Braves had such a feat occur. In their second no hitter since moving to Atlanta, Kent Mercker, Mark Wohlers, and Alejandro Pena combined to shut down the San Diego Padres 4-0. It was the seventh combined no hitter in MLB history, and, interestingly enough, the second to be pitched in 1991.
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The talented, but enigmatic, Mercker started the game and pitched fairly well. In his six innings of work, walking two and striking out six while throwing only 82 pitches. However, when Sid Bream was lifted for a pinch runner in the sixth, and Brian Hunter was slotted into the lineup to play first, Mercker became the victim of a double switch.
In came Wohlers, who did his part by firing two perfect innings. He threw 15 pitches, getting five of his six outs via the fly ball. Pena came in for the ninth and worked around a two out error by third baseman Terry Pendleton to complete the rare combined no hitter.
Mercker would eventually get a no hitter of his own, pitching one on April 8, 1994. That no hitter would actually be one of two complete games, and the only shutout, he would have in his career. It is also notable that Tony Gwynn did play in the combined no hitter, and had four plate appearances. While he did draw a walk, Braves pitching held one of the greatest hitters of recent times without a base knock. In fact, Gwynn would fly out to left for the final out of the game.
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The Atlanta Braves were just about to begin their run of dominance, becoming the dynasty of the National League in the 1990s. On this day in 1991, they made history with their combined no hitter.