Sep. 6, 2006

Sanchez's no-no just adds to Marlins' magical season

By Scott Miller | CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
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Anibal Sanchez grew up in the same Venezuelan town as Miguel Cabrera, the two played ball together as kids, became best friends, and they sailed off toward the major leagues when they were still learning to be men.

Miguel Cabrera is the first to celebrate with his countryman Anibal Sanchez (36). (AP)

In an unexpected and riveting performance made even more impressive by the heat of the playoff race, Sanchez hung nine hitless innings on the Arizona Diamondbacks to break the longest no-hit drought in major-league history.

It was the latest shining moment in an unexpectedly bright season for the Marlins, who have won 13 of their past 16 games to climb into a tie with Philadelphia for second place in the NL wild-card race, behind San Diego.

The degree of difficulty was extraordinary. Not only was Sanchez, 22, making only his 13th major-league start, but he was facing an Arizona team that is tied for fourth in the NL with a .269 batting average, ranks second in the NL in hits and ninth in on-base percentage.

As all no-hitters must, this one contained a handful of fielding gems that helped Sanchez keep Arizona's lineup sealed shut, specifically, second baseman Dan Uggla's charge of Orlando Hudson's slow roller in the eighth to start a 4-3-6 double play; shortstop Hanley Ramirez's grab of Stephen Drew's grounder in the seventh and left fielder Josh Willingham forward dive to rob Chad Tracy of a hit in the fourth.

Appropriately, after Ramirez turned an Eric Byrnes ground ball into the game's final out -- Byrnes darn near beat the throw to first -- Cabrera raced in from third and was the first to greet Sanchez.

The two were a long way from their native Maracay, Venezuela -- and if the unlikely Marlins don't cool off, they may be even further away from Maracay in October.

Sanchez, Ramirez and two others were obtained from Boston last winter in the Josh Beckett trade as the Marlins shed their expensive players and looked to rebuild with younger, cheaper players. Sanchez was one of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization and the Marlins were especially attracted to his hard slider and high ceiling.

Sanchez, who throws a fastball, the hard slider and a curve -- and who missed all of 2003 following Tommy John ligament transfer surgery -- arrived in the bigs in late June, following an injury to veteran Brian Moehler. He whipped New York in his first start, holding the Yankees scoreless over 5 2/3 innings in Yankee Stadium on June 25, and never looked back.

Since, Moehler has pitched out of the bullpen while Sanchez remained in the majors' youngest rotation. It's worked beautifully for the Marlins, who have watched three rookies already reach double figures in victories -- Josh Johnson (12-6), Scott Olsen (12-7) and Ricky Nolasco (11-9). Johnson currently ranks second in the NL with a 2.99 ERA, trailing only St. Louis' Chris Carpenter (2.87).

The right-handed Sanchez, who has started 13 of his 14 major league appearances, is 7-2 with a 2.89 ERA. It was the majors' first no-hitter since Randy Johnson, then of Arizona, threw a perfect game against Atlanta on May 18, 2004.

The span of two years, 110 days is the longest gap between no-hitters since World War II, when two years and 241 days passed between Lon Warneke's no-hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 30, 1941, and Jim Tobin's no-no for the Boston Braves on April 27, 1944.