Means throws Orioles' 1st no-hitter since 1991
Baltimore Orioles left-hander John Means no-hit the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
The moment that will live in Orioles lore.
— Baltimore Orioles 😷 (@Orioles) May 5, 2021
The magical @JMeans25. pic.twitter.com/zjelSD6GZv
It's the 10th no-hitter in Orioles history and the first since four pitchers combined to shut down the Oakland Athletics on July 13, 1991.
The last Orioles hurler to record a no-no on his own was Jim Palmer in 1969, which also came against the A's.
It snapped the longest active drought without a solo no-hitter, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The Pittsburgh Pirates now own baseball's longest streak without an individual no-hitter after John Candelaria last completed the task in 1976.
Means matched a career high with 12 strikeouts on 113 pitches while throwing 79 for strikes. He also threw first-pitch strikes to 26 of the 27 batters he faced.
All 12 K's from John Means NO FREAKING HITTER
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) May 5, 2021
14 whiffs on the CH is a career high for him.
First pitch strikes to 26 out of 27 batters. pic.twitter.com/QTc5t5vDZJ
Sam Haggerty was the Mariners' only baserunner, as he reached first after striking out on a wild pitch in the third inning. He was subsequently thrown out trying to steal second.
Just talked to the official scorer in the press box. This is not a perfect game because Haggerty reach base on the dropped 3rd strike in the 3rd. It is currently a no hitter.
— Jen Mueller (@JenTalksSports) May 5, 2021
Means also became the first pitcher to record a non-perfect no-hitter in which his team did not walk or hit a batter or allow a runner to reach by error, according to MLB Stats.
The only other known instance of a pitcher losing a perfect game on a dropped third strike happened in Korea when Hanwha Eagles' Jeong Min-chul recorded a no-hitter with the only baserunner occurring on a strikeout, per NoNoHitters.com.
Additionally, Means joins Felix Hernandez as the only AL pitchers to strike out 12 or more without issuing a walk en route to a no-hitter, according to Stats by STATS.
Means is the third pitcher in Major League Baseball to throw a no-hitter this season, joining San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove and Chicago White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon.
The 28-year-old Means improves to 4-0 on the season with a 1.37 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 46 innings.