TheLos Angeles Dodgers are aMajor League Baseballfranchise currently based in Los Angeles. They play in theNational League West division. The franchise joined theAmerican Association in 1884 as the "Brooklyn Atlantics". They have been known in their early years as the "Brooklyn Grays" (1885–1887), "Brooklyn Bridegrooms" (1888–1890, 1896–1898), "Brooklyn Grooms" (1891–1895), "Brooklyn Superbas" (1899–1910, 1913), "Brooklyn Robins" (1914–1931), and "Brooklyn Dodgers" (1911–12, 1932–1957).[1] There have been 20 pitchers for the Dodgers that have thrown 25no-hitters infranchise history.[2] A no-hitter is officially recognized by Major League Baseball only "...when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings. In a no-hit game, a batter may reach base via awalk, anerror, ahit by pitch, apassed ball orwild pitch on strike three, orcatcher's interference".[3] No-hitters of less than nine complete innings were previously recognized by the league as official; however, several rule alterations in 1991 changed the rule to its current form.[4] A no-hitter is common enough that, as of April 9, 2021, every Major League Baseball team has had a pitcher accomplish the feat.[a]
There has been oneperfect game thrown by a Dodgers pitcher. A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as occurring "when a pitcher (or pitchers) retires each batter on the opposing team during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings. In a perfect game, no batter reaches any base during the course of the game."[3] This feat was achieved bySandy Koufax onSeptember 9, 1965. It was Koufax's fourth career no-hitter, and is the franchise record for no-hitters by one pitcher. At the time, Koufax's four no-hitters was the major league record for any pitcher, but has since been surpassed in 1981 byNolan Ryan who ended his career with seven.
Sam Kimber threw the first no-hitter in Dodgers history on October 4, 1884, which ended as a scoreless tie after ten innings.[5] The most recent no-hitter thrown by a Dodgers pitcher was on May 4, 2018 by four pitchers.Walker Buehler 3rd career start 6 IP,Tony Cingrani 1 IP,Adam Liberatore 1 IP, andYimi Garcia 1 IP. It was the first no hitter outside ofUnited States orCanada as it was pitched inMonterrey, Mexico. It was also the first combinedno hitter in franchise history.[5] Five of the 20 pitchers were left-handed pitchers, 14 were right-handed, and one,Tom Lovett, is still unknown. In addition to Koufax, two other Dodgers pitchers have thrown multiple no-hitters,Adonis Terry andCarl Erskine. 18 of the no-hitters were thrown at home and eight on the road. The longest interval between no-hitters was between the games pitched byHideo Nomo andJosh Beckett, encompassing 17 years and 250 days from September 17, 1996 until May 25, 2014. Conversely, the shortest interval between no-hitters was between the games pitched by Beckett andClayton Kershaw, encompassing merely 24 days from May 25, 2014 until June 18, 2014. TheSan Francisco Giants (formerly "New York Giants") have been no-hit six times, the most by any Dodgers opponent.Dazzy Vance is the only Dodgers no-hit pitcher to have allowed at least one run. The most baserunners allowed in any of these game were by Terry (in 1886) and Koufax (in 1962), who each allowed five. Of the 26 no-hitters, five have been won by a score of 5–0 and four by the score of 3–0, more common than any other results. The largest margin of victory in a no-hitter was a 9–0 win byHideo Nomo in 1996 and a 10–1 win by Vance in 1925. The smallest margins of victory were 1–0 wins by Terry in 1888 and Koufax in 1965.
Theumpire is an integral part of any no-hitter. The task of the umpire in a baseball game is to make any decision "which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out… [the umpire's judgment on such matters] is final."[6] Part of the duties of the umpire making calls at home plate includes defining thestrike zone, which "is defined as that area overhomeplate(sic) the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap."[6] These calls define every baseball game and are therefore integral to the completion of any no-hitter.[7] There have been 24 different home plate umpires who have called Dodgers no-hitters;Babe Pinelli is the only umpire to have called two.
| ¶ | Indicates aperfect game |
| £ | Pitcher was left-handed |
| * | Member of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
| # | Date | Pitcher | Final score | Base- runners | Opponent | Catcher | Plate umpire | Manager | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 4, 1884 | Sam Kimber | 0–0(10) | 4 | Toledo Blue Stockings | Jack Corcoran | John Dyler | George Taylor |
| [8] |
| 2 | July 24, 1886 | Adonis Terry(1) | 4–0 | 5 | St. Louis Browns | Jimmy Peoples(1) | Mike Walsh | Charlie Byrne | [9] | |
| 3 | May 27, 1888 | Adonis Terry(2) | 1–0 | 1 | Louisville Colonels | Jimmy Peoples(2) | Herm Doscher | Bill McGunnigle |
| [10] |
| 4 | June 22, 1891 | Tom Lovett | 4–0 | 1 | New York Giants | Con Daily | Jack McQuaid | Monte Ward | [11] | |
| 5 | July 20, 1906 | Mal Eason | 2–0 | 2 | @St. Louis Cardinals | Lew Ritter | Bill Carpenter | Patsy Donovan(1) |
| [12] |
| 6 | September 5, 1908 | Nap Rucker£ | 6–0 | 3 | Boston Doves | Bill Bergen | Jim Johnstone | Patsy Donovan(2) |
| [13] |
| 7 | September 13, 1925 | Dazzy Vance* | 10–1 | 1 | Philadelphia Phillies | Hank DeBerry | Cy Pfirman | Wilbert Robinson |
| [14] |
| 8 | April 30, 1940 | Tex Carleton | 3–0 | 3 | @Cincinnati Reds | Herman Franks | Bill Stewart | Leo Durocher(1) | [15] | |
| 9 | April 23, 1946 | Ed Head | 5–0 | 3 | Boston Braves | Ferrell Anderson | Babe Pinelli(1) | Leo Durocher(2) |
| [16] |
| 10 | September 9, 1948 | Rex Barney | 2–0 | 2 | @New York Giants | Bruce Edwards | Babe Pinelli(2) | Leo Durocher(3) |
| [17] |
| 11 | June 19, 1952 | Carl Erskine(1) | 5–0 | 1 | Chicago Cubs | Roy Campanella(1) | Jocko Conlan | Chuck Dressen | [18] | |
| 12 | May 12, 1956 | Carl Erskine(2) | 3–0 | 2 | New York Giants | Roy Campanella(2) | Augie Donatelli | Walter Alston(1) | [19] | |
| 13 | September 25, 1956 | Sal Maglie | 5–0 | 3 | Philadelphia Phillies | Roy Campanella(3) | Hal Dixon | Walter Alston(2) |
| [20] |
| 14 | June 30, 1962 | Sandy Koufax£*(1) | 5–0 | 5 | New York Mets | John Roseboro(1) | Mel Steiner | Walter Alston(3) |
| [21] |
| 15 | May 11, 1963 | Sandy Koufax£*(2) | 8–0 | 2 | San Francisco Giants | John Roseboro(2) | Harry Wendelstedt | Walter Alston(4) | [22] | |
| 16 | June 4, 1964 | Sandy Koufax£*(3) | 3–0 | 1 | @Philadelphia Phillies | Doug Camilli | Al Forman | Walter Alston(5) |
| [23] |
| 17 | September 9, 1965 | Sandy Koufax£¶*(4) | 1–0 | 0 | Chicago Cubs | Jeff Torborg(1) | Ed Vargo | Walter Alston(6) |
| [24] |
| 18 | July 20, 1970 | Bill Singer | 5–0 | 3 | Philadelphia Phillies | Jeff Torborg(2) | Ed Sudol | Walter Alston(7) |
| [25] |
| 19 | June 27, 1980 | Jerry Reuss£ | 8–0 | 1 | @San Francisco Giants | Steve Yeager | Jim Quick | Tom Lasorda(1) |
| [26] |
| 20 | June 29, 1990 | Fernando Valenzuela£ | 6–0 | 3 | St. Louis Cardinals | Mike Scioscia(1) | Jerry Layne | Tom Lasorda(2) |
| [27] |
| 21 | August 17, 1992 | Kevin Gross | 2–0 | 3 | San Francisco Giants | Mike Scioscia(2) | Mike Winters | Tom Lasorda(3) | [28] | |
| 22 | July 14, 1995 | Ramón Martínez | 7–0 | 1 | Florida Marlins | Mike Piazza(1) | Eric Gregg | Tom Lasorda(4) |
| [29] |
| 23 | September 17, 1996 | Hideo Nomo | 9–0 | 4 | @Colorado Rockies | Mike Piazza(2) | Bill Hohn | Bill Russell |
| [31] |
| 24 | May 25, 2014 | Josh Beckett | 6–0 | 3 | @Philadelphia Phillies | Drew Butera | Brian Knight | Don Mattingly(1) |
| [32] |
| 25 | June 18, 2014 | Clayton Kershaw£ | 8–0 | 1 | Colorado Rockies | A. J. Ellis | Greg Gibson | Don Mattingly(2) |
| [33] |
| 26 | May 4, 2018 | Walker Buehler(6 IP) Tony Cingrani£(1 IP) Yimi García(1 IP) Adam Liberatore£(1 IP) | 4–0 | 4 | San Diego Padres | Yasmani Grandal | John Tumpane | Dave Roberts |
| [34] |