On Wednesday afternoon, at the expense of the slumping Cleveland Indians, Ervin Santana etched his name into the baseball record books.
Santana, who was 0-4 against the Tribe prior to this historic outing, tossed the 272nd no-hitter in big league history. Because of his impeccable control, Santana struck out 10 while walking only 1.
Despite failing to collect even a single base-hit, the Indians did avoid a shutout by scratching for a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. A fielding error, a stolen base, a groundout, and a wild pitch allowed Ezequiel Carrera to cross home plate.
Following that rocky opening frame, Santana was unhittable.
The Angels' right-hander pitched without any offensive support until the 5th when Mike Trout's sacrifice fly tied the game.
Courtesy of Carlos Santana's passed ball, the Halos finally gave Ervin Santana the lead in the 6th. That passed ball was not the Tribe's only defensive miscue as the Wahoos committed 5 errors.
A pair of fielding gems in the home half of the 6th saved the no-no. First, Jason Kipnis was robbed by Howard Kendrick, who dove to stop a hot smash that was headed toward center field. Then, Santana deflcted Austin Kearns' low liner with his glove, retrieved the the baseball after it rolled behind him, and threw to 1st.
The tension began to build as Santana continued to stifle the Indians' bats.
In the bottom of the 9th, Michael Brantley represented Santana's final obstacle. Brantley lofted the 2nd pitch of the at-bat to medium-deep left-center, where it nestled into the glove of Peter Bourjos. Santana raised his arms in celebration and was instantly swarmed by his fellow Angels.
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| Santana reacts after completing his no-hitter |
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