Rockies Review: May 11, 1996 - Leiter becomes first pitcher to toss no-hitter against Rockies

The Miami/Florida Marlins have been one the most spoiled franchises in Major League Baseball.

Consider the San Diego Padres have never won the World Series nor experienced a no-hitter, the only remaining team in MLB, since their birth in 1969.

Following the 1993 expansion that brought the Marlins and the Colorado Rockies into existence, the Fish won their first World Series in only their fifth season. Six years later, they added a second.

They even have six affiliated members of their organization enshrined in Cooperstown, the first of which, Tony Pérez in 2001, was hired as manager less than a year after his induction.

Before robbing Cleveland of its first championship in nearly 50 years during the 1997 World Series, the Marlins welcomed their first no-hitter on this date in 1996 in an 11-0 win at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Al Leiter, signed in the offseason as a free agent, got into a jam following a quick first inning.

After walking Andrés Galarraga, hit plunked Ellis Burks to give the Rockies their only threat of the game. Vinny Castilla struck out swinging and Trent Hubbard grounded into the 6-4-3 double play.

From their, the southpaw from Toms River, NJ retired the next 19 batters in order, including a swinging strikeout of Eric Young Sr. to punctuate the no-hitter.

Future Colorado backstop Charles Johnson homered in support of his pitcher and third baseman Terry Pendleton did the same on the way to a five-RBI game.

Jones v. Jones

For the first time in the century, two starting pitchers in a major league game have the same name as the Rockies southpaw Bobby M. Jones bests right-hander Bobby J. Jones and the New York Mets in 1999.

Cards Against Baserunners

Adam Wainwright opened this 2013 contest by retiring the first 13 Rockies during the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3-0 victory. Coupled with Shelby Miller’s 27 consecutive outs to end the previous game, the Cardinals tie the MLB record for most consecutive outs (40) by one team against another. Nolan Arenado breaks the no-hitter in the eighth with a single in what is ultimately a two-hitter for Wainwright.

A Rarity

Even though he blew a save and surrendered three runs during an inning, Chin-hui Tsao won his fourth and final game with Colorado on this date in 2005 in a 6-5 defeat of Atlanta. It would be another decade until the Taiwanese twirler won another game in MLB – July 7, 2015 with the Los Angeles Dodgers – something only accomplished as recently as 1953 by Johnny Lindell. Between those wins, Tsao would be expelled from the Chinese Professional Baseball League for misbehavior tied to game fixing allegations.

Fun Fact

Tony Wolters notched two hits in a 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres to extend a hitting streak that would peak at eight games. During his career-high streak, the catcher batted .407 (11-for-27) with three doubles and six runs batted in from May 1-15.

On This Day In Baseball History

In 1924, the first African-American to play professional baseball at the major league level dies at the age of 67 in Cleveland, Ohio. Moses Fleetwood Walker played in 42 games for the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association in 1884.