Jo-NO!

[fringe]

Johan Santana tosses first no-hitter in NY Mets history during 8-0 victory against St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field

Santana steals show in Carlos Beltran's return to New York, ends 8,020-game drought

 

Comments (1)

BY ANTHONY MCCARRON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

 

Friday, June 1, 2012, 9:54 PM

 

 

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NY METS 8, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS 0

 

Fans were on the feet as the ninth inning began, hoping to see history. Johan Santana warmed up calmly on the mound, but there was a current of electricity in the park. He had already thrown 122 pitches, but he was trying to do something no Met had ever done.

 

And then he did. Santana threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals in the Mets’ 8-0 victory in front of 27,069 at Citi Field in Carlos Beltran’s return to Queens.

 

That means that, finally, in their 8,020th game - including ties - in their 50th season, the Mets have the franchise’s very first no-hitter, ending one of the most notorious droughts in baseball history.

 

Santana finished the no-no with a strikeout of David Freese, sending fans into a frenzy. The Mets mobbed him at the mound afterward and the scoreboard read, simply, “No-Han.”

 

The no-no was not without controversy, though. Collins had talked before the game about monitoring Santana’s pitch count to take care of his surgically-repaired left shoulder and said he’d like him to be within the 110-115 range, which Santana eclipsed before the end of the eighth.

 

The 33-year-old Santana, who threw a shutout his last time out, was superb, though he had spates of wildness that resulted in five walks. He finished with 134 pitches, eclipsing his career high of 125 on Sept. 23, 2008 against the Mets, before the shoulder surgery that changed his career. Seventy-seven of those pitches were strikes.

 

Also, had third-base umpire Adrian Johnson not had a non-call on a sixth-inning liner by Beltran, Beltran wouldn’t ended the drama then. He led off the sixth inning and hit a liner down the third-base line that was clearly fair, hitting the chalk of the foul line just beyond the base. But Johnson ruled it foul.

 

After Beltran grounded out, Johnson and Cards’ third-base coach Jose Oquendo began arguing and St. Louis manager Mike Matheny came out of the dugout to argue with Johnson, too.

 

Santana’s gem also had the requisite sensational fielding play, too - left fielder Mike Baxter made a terrific running catch in the seventh inning to take a hit away from Yadier Molina. Baxter smashed into the wall moments after snagging the ball and had to come out of the game, but he got a standing ovation as trainers led him off the field. He suffered a left shoulder bruise and is undergoing further testing, the Mets said.

 

Tom Seaver twice got into the ninth inning with no-hitters - July 9, 1969 against the Cubs and July 4, 1972 against the Padres - but lost them both. Seven pitchers, including Seaver and Dwight Gooden, threw no-hitters after leaving the Mets and 10 pitchers threw no-nos before becoming Mets.

 

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Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/johan-santana-tosses-no-hitter-ny-mets-history-8-0-victory-st-louis-cardinals-citi-field-article-1.1088604#ixzz1wb6ZtuBC

[Allstarjim]

I watched, blu. From the end of the 6th inning on. Wife and I were watching part II of Hatfields & McCoys, and we had the DVR paused because my wife was foolin' around with her 'puter. So I had the game on my 'puter, and noticed that Johan had made it through 6 with no hits. Right then, I said, "Honey, I'm sorry, but I will be in the office watching the game. That thing that has never happened in Mets' history may be happening tonight, and I won't miss it." She got a little pissed, and I think she still is, and when MLB network switched coverage to the game, I was in the man cave watching it on the big screen.

 

And Johan strikes out that last Cardinal batter, I went nuts, screaming.... "HE DID IT, HE DID IT, HE DID IIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!!!!!! What a moment. For a life long Mets' fan, to finally see this happen, get to see it live, it was really special. This has been a great sports year.

[fringe]

Amazing with the pitching legacy they've had that this is the first one.

Congrats!

[Allstarjim]

Thanks man. Still on a high right now. I love it. A lot of talk about it on the other Giants-related website. A couple of people had reactions like mine, and stories about watching the Mets with fathers. I watched the '86 championship with my dad. It was great, first time I had ever seen my dad get excited and act like a kid, and I was only 10 years old. He passed on the love of the Mets to me. I wish he could've seen tonight. He would've loved it.

 

If you're a Mets fan and you grew up as a boy with baseball dreams in your head, when Carter, Keith Hernandez, Howard Johnson, Daryl Strawberry, David Cone, Doc Gooden, all those Mets' greats were heroes, and tonight takes you back. There have been few moments since '86 that have been magical like tonight. The NL pennant in 2000, and I'm really struggling to think about many more than that. What a magical night.

[jranieli]

I had to DVR it. Watched from the third inning on but had to go out.

[Allstarjim]

Sorry, jranieli. You'll enjoy it but I know it's not quite the same when you already know the outcome. But I've now watched the top of the ninth inning about 4 times now. It's wonderful.

 

[Steitzenhaus]

I listened to the entire game on wfan because I had work. Howie is so good at what he does though it really didn't matter. Johan just cemented his legacy with the Mets. Just an incredible, gutsy performance. It's surreal.

[osi724dasack]

This Mets team is very likable. Good for them, I'm actually rooting for the Mets on the side, and I'm a huge Yankee fan.

 

You guys might just have a really special season brewing. At the very least you Guys will beat expectations.

[Allstarjim]

There are some good young players to be excited about. And they haven't even called up Harvey yet, who is a stud pitcher.