I am working on stories about each of the no-hitters that the Minnesota Twins have been involved in — both those they’ve thrown and those that have been thrown against them — and thought I’d post an overview.
Twins pitchers have thrown a total of 4 regular season no-hitters, but no perfect games.
The Twins have been no-hit a total of 4 times, with 2 of them being perfect games.
The list of no-hitters thrown by the Minnesota Twins:
(The links on the scores of the games will direct you to the boxscore and play by play for the game at the marvelous retrosheet.org. The play by play can be fascinating to read, if you’re into the sort of thing. The player links will take you to the player page at the equally marvelous baseball-reference.com)
1. Jack Kralick – August 26, 1962 – Kansas City 0, Minnesota 1 – Metropolitan Stadium
KC A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 MIN A 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 x - 1 8 0
Notes: Kralick walked pinch-hitter George Alusik with 1 out in the 9th to lose the perfect game.
2. Dean Chance – August 25, 1967 – Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1 – Cleveland Stadium
MIN A 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 2 7 1 CLE A 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 0 1
Notes: Cleveland scored their run when Chance walked the first two batters of the game. After a strikeout, Cesar Tovar was charged with an error at 3B that resulted in Cleveland loading the bases. Chase then threw a wild pitch that allowed the run to score. After another strikeout, a fly to left ended the inning.
Chance threw a 5 inning no-hitter earlier in the month against the Boston Red Sox at The Met – it was called due to rain.
3. Scott Erickson – April 27, 1994 – Milwaukee Brewers 0, Minnesota 6 – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
MIL A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 MIN A 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 x - 6 13 0
Notes: Erickson walked Billy Spiers in the 4th to lose the perfect game.
4. Eric Milton – September 11, 1999 – Anaheim 0, Minnesota 7 - Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
ANA A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 MIN A 1 3 0 0 2 0 0 1 x - 7 10 0
Notes: Milton walked the 2nd batter of the game, Orlando Palmeiro. Milton struck out 13 Angels during the game. Denny Hocking hit one of his 25 career home runs and Terry Steinbach hit one of his 21 career triples. Future Twin Ramon Ortiz took the loss in his 4th career start.
The list of no hitters thrown against the Minnesota Twins:
1. Jim “Catfish” Hunter – May 8, 1968 – Minnesota 0, Oakland 4 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
MIN A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 OAK A 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 x - 4 10 0
Notes: PERFECT GAME! Hunter struck out 11, including the final 2 batters (looking!).
2. Vida Blue – September 21, 1970 – Minnesota 0, Oakland 6 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
MIN A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 1 OAK A 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 x - 6 9 0
Notes: Blue’s lone blemish was a walk to Harmon Killebrew in the 4th.
3. Nolan Ryan – September 28, 1974 – Minnesota 0, California 4 – Anaheim Stadium
MIN A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 2 CAL A 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 x - 4 7 0
Notes: Ryan struck out 15, but walked 8(!). This was the 3rd of Ryan’s record 7 no-hitters.
4. David Wells – May 17, 1998 – Minnesota 0, New York 4 – Yankee Stadium
MIN A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 NY A 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 x - 4 6 0
Notes: PERFECT GAME! Wells struck out 11. Latroy Hawkins started the game for Minnesota.
