San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell had a memorable night on Friday.
Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, hurled the 18th no-hitter in Giants franchise history against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, leading San Francisco to a 3-0 victory in the series opener.
Snell allowed only three walks and struck out the final 11 Reds during his strong effort, which was highlighted by a line drive out by Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
This was the electric final out:
The Giants pitcher had a lot to say following his no-hitter.
“They can’t say it anymore, you know?” Snell informed reporters. “Complete game, shutout, no hitter. Leave me alone. ‘He does not go into the ninth. He does not go into the eighth. I just done it. Leave me alone.
Snell’s no-hitter was the third in the MLB this season, and the first by a Giant since Chris Heston’s against the New York Mets in 2015. After a rough start to the season and a brief stint on the disabled list, Snell has pitched to a 0.55 ERA in his last five appearances.
Snell, 31, had never pitched eight innings before his no-hitter, but in his 202nd career start, he recorded his first full game—and what a game it was. Snell also stated that he went into the ninth inning throwing strikes because he was scared Giants manager Bob Melvin would remove him at that point.
Melvin eventually let him cook, and Snell can now add another commendable accomplishment to his already impressive resume.
