When my family and I went to the San Francisco Giants game last Wednesday, the last thing I expected to see was Tim Lincecum no-hit the San Diego Padres. I chose that particular game only because it was a day game and I was warned the San Francisco nights might get a little cold. By pure dumb luck I was able to witness history.
Every time a Major League pitcher starts a game there is about a .0006 chance he will throw a no-hitter. We have all seen one on TV, but in person it was much different. There was no play-by-play announcer to fill time between pitches. There were no TV commercial breaks, only the chatter among fans as the game went along.
Before the first pitch was thrown, my son predicted we were going to see a no-hitter. I was just hoping for a good game and laughed it off. Through three innings Lincecum had allowed just one walk with four K’s.
The wind at AT&T Park was swirling and would change directions often. Early on it seemed like the Giants got the benefit of the wind blowing out. After five innings the no-no was still intact with the Giants leading 2-0.
At that point I thought that maybe we might see history, although still not likely. After the sixth inning, I assumed most sporting websites had some sort of no-hitter watch alerting their readers. I know that people in AT&T Park were starting to discuss the possibility. Usually a pitcher needs a couple of outstanding defensive plays to complete a no-hitter, but so far everything seemed pretty routine. The only real dramatic play came in the third when left fielder Michael Morse cut in front of Gregor Blanco to make a catch.
Lincecum had a good day at the plate and led off the 7th with a single. It was a chilly day and I thought it would have been better if he struck out or grounded out so he could stay warm in the dugout. He seemed to be on the bases for a long time. He would eventually score after sitting through a Padres pitching change. The Giants kept the inning alive for a while longer to grab a 4-0 lead. To me that was huge. Lincecum was able to sit, rest and warm up before coming out for the final two innings. He would lead off the 8th with a walk, but was forced out at second base allowing him to return to the dugout and get warm before the final inning.
Lincecum took the mound to a standing ovation as a light mist filled the air of AT&T Park. The wind was blowing in. Lincecum struck out Chris Denorfia. He threw seven pitches before Yasmani Grandal hit a week grounder and was put. Will Venable grounded out to end the no-hitter. The Giants mobbed Lincecum and the celebration began on the field and in the stands.
I have only been to about ten Major League Baseball games in my life. I’m glad that my fear of being cold made me choose that particular game.
(The view from the cheap seats)
