MLB history: Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees and history of no-hit losses

It feels like what happened to Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers Sunday at Yankee Stadium — losing both a no-hitter and the ballgame in extra innings — ought to be rare, and possibly even unprecedented.

By baseball standards, it’s actually not all that uncommon.

The Brewers were actually the 13th team in MLB history to take a no-hitter into extra innings and then lose the game. They fell to the New York Yankees 4-3 in 13 innings when Kyle Higashioka doubled home Tyrone Taylor.

Burnes had held the Yankees hitless for nine innings before giving way to a succession of Brewers relievers in extras. Oswaldo Cabrera got New York’s first hit, a double, in the bottom of the 11th.

After neither team scored through the first 10 innings, both scored one run in the 11th and two in the 12th, New York’s two coming on an Aaron Judge home run. Hoby Milner, Milwaukee’s sixth pitcher, took the loss.

Burnes walked two and struck out seven in holding the Yankees without a hit through nine innings.

And not that it will be any consolation to the Brewers, but losing a no-hitter in extra innings can be a ticket to eternal baseball fame. Two of the previous 12 times this has happened are commonly listed among the half-dozen greatest pitching feats in history.

The most memorable doubtless occurred on May 26, 1959, at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, when Pittsburgh left-hander Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings. That’s right; Haddix retired the first 36 batters he faced, but had nothing to show for it because his Pirates failed to score against Milwaukee starter Lew Burdette.

The Pirates got 12 hits off Burdette, and in the ninth inning advanced Bill Virdon to third base with two out. But Burdette got Bob Skinner to ground the ball back to him for the third out. It ended Pittsburgh’s only real threat of the night.

In the bottom of the 13th, third baseman Don Hoak threw wildly in an attempt to retire Felix Mantilla, ending the perfect game. After a sacrifice and an intentional walk to Henry Aaron, Joe Adcock hit what appeared to be a game-winning home run only to be called out for passing Aaron on the basepaths. Adcock’s hit was reduced to a double, but it didn’t matter because Mantilla had already crossed home plate with the game-ending run.

The other famous extra inning no hit loss occurred at the place now known as Wrigley Field (then called Weeghman Park) on May 2, 1917. That day Reds righty Fred Toney and Cubs left-hander Hippo Vaughn matched up in what remains the only game in MLB history where neither team hit safely through nine innings.

Toney walked two and struck out three; Vaughn walked two and struck out 10.

Finally with one out in the top of the 10th, Reds shortstop Larry Kopf broke up Vaughn’s no-hitter with a line single. He took third on an error and scored on Jim Thorpe’s infield single. Toney retired the Cubs without incident in the bottom of the 10th to complete his no-hitter.

It also remains the only game in which a no-hitter was simultaneously won and lost in extra innings.

MLB history: No-hitters that turned into losses

Here are the other 10 instances prior to Sunday when a pitcher or team took a no-hitter into extra innings only to eventually lose the game.

May 9, 1901, Earl Moore. The Cleveland pitcher no-hit the White Sox for nine innings despite allowing two unearned runs thanks to a pair of errors, one of which was his own. In the 10th, Sam Mertes broke up the no-hitter and Fred Hartman added another hit as Chicago won 4-2 at Cleveland’s League Park.

August 1, 1906, Harry McIntyre. Brooklyn’s pitcher lost a 1-0, 13-inning heartbreaker to Pittsburgh at Brooklyn’s Washington Park. McIntyre lost his no-hitter on a Claude Ritchey base hit with two out in the 11th and lost the game when the Pirates strung together three consecutive hits in the 13th.

April 15, 1909, Red Ames. On opening day of the 1909 season, Ames held Brooklyn hitless through nine innings at the Polo Grounds. His no-hitter ended with one out in the 10th, and Ames eventually took a 3-0 loss when Brooklyn scored three times in the top of the 13th inning.

August 30, 1910, Tom Hughes. In the second game of a doubleheader with Cleveland at New York’s Hilltop Park, Hughes didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the 10th. But he collapsed in the 11th, allowing five runs and six more hits, as Cleveland won 5-0.

May 14, 1914, Jim Scott. Ace of the Chicago White Sox, Scott held Washington hitless on two walks through nine innings. In the bottom of the 10th, however, Chick Gandil (later of Black Sox ignominy) singled and came around to score when the next batter, Howie Shanks, propelled a triple into the center field recesses of Griffith Stadium.

Sept. 18, 1934, Bobo Newsom. At Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, Newsom allowed the Boston Red Sox a second inning run on a walk, error, intentional walk and fielder’s choice. The Browns tied the game in the sixth, sending the contest into extra innings with Newsom still not having allowed a base hit.

But with one out in the 10th, Newsom walked Max Bishop and Bill Werber. One out later, Roy Johnson grounded a single up the middle, scoring Bishop with what would become the winning run.

May 26, 1956, three pitchers. Cincinnati starter Johnny Klippstein held the Braves hitless through seven innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the scoreless game. Hersh Freeman pitched a hitless eighth, and Joe Black came on to pitch the ninth with the game still scoreless.

Jack Dittmer broke up the no-hitter with a two-out double in the 10th. One inning later, Frank Torre ended the game with a base hit scoring Hank Aaron, who had tripled.

June 14, 1965, Jim Maloney. Pitching for the Reds, Maloney held the Mets hitless for 10 innings at Crosley Field. But in the 11th, Johnny Lewis tapped Maloney for a home run that decided the 1-0 contest.

Coincidentally, two months later Maloney would get his extra innings no hitter, holding the Cubs hitless for 10 innings at Wrigley Field and winning on an extra-inning home run by Leo Cardenas.

July 26, 1991, Mark Gardner. At Dodger Stadium, Gardner pitched nine innings of no-hit ball. But when Lenny Harris and Eddie Murray opened the bottom of the 10th with consecutive hits, Gardner was pulled in favor of Jeff Fassero, who promptly threw a game-ending three-run home run to Darryl Strawberry.

August 23, 2017, Rich Hill. Pitching for Los Angeles against the Pirates at PNC Park, Hill delivered nine perfect innings only to lose the perfect game, no-hitter and decision when Josh Harrison opened the bottom of the 10th with a home run.