Blake Snell no-hitter: Giants pitcher blanks Reds in first career complete game, first team no-no since 2015

Snell allowed just three walks

By Matt Snyder

Aug 2, 2024 at 10:57 pm ET • 1 min read

Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell -- the 2023 NL Cy Young winner -- no-hit the Reds Friday night, allowing just three walks and striking out 11.

Snell retired the final 11 Reds to cap his impressive night, finishing it up by inducing a line drive out from Elly De La Cruz.

Here's the final out Friday:

Pretty much be definition, a no-hitter is a dominant performance, but this was particularly impressive because Snell was barely even challenged by the Reds. He allowed just one hard hit ball and it was a groundout. A lot of times on no-hitters, we'll see highlight packages featuring incredible defensive plays to the pitcher out, but none were necessary here. It was simply Snell mowing the Reds down in a hitter-friendly ballpark.

Speaking of, the Reds have been in Great American Ball Park since the 2003 season and this was only the second time they've been no-hit there (Jake Arrieta did so in 2016).

This was a rare shot for Snell, too, who has been pulled from a no-hitter three times before, including last season. "I understand my body really well," he told reporters after being pulled after the seventh inning with a no-hitter intact. "I understand the risk/reward of injury, with pushing it."

On Aug. 10, 2018, he was pulled after five no-hit innings. On Aug. 31, 2021, he was pulled after seven no-hit innings. On Sept. 19 last season, again, he was removed from the game after allowing zero hits through seven innings. In fact, only Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax now have more career starts with seven-plus no-hit innings. It just so turns out that this was Snell's first finished no-hitter.

This was Snell's 202nd career start and he previously had zero complete games. His longest career outing before Friday was 7 2/3 innings on Aug. 25 in 2021.

"They can't say it anymore. You know? Complete game, shutout, no-hitter. Leave me alone. 'He doesn't go into the 9th. He doesn't go into the 8th.' Just did it. Leave me alone," he said after the game.

Snell was up against a high pitch count late, too, but he was very efficient in his last several innings. He only needed 13 pitches in the eighth and seven in the ninth.

This marks the Giants' 17th no-hitter in franchise history. The most recent came on June 9, 2015 when Chris Heston pulled off the feat against the Mets. Tim Lincecum had the previous two.

There had previously been two no-hitters so far this season: Astros starter Ronel Blanco did it on April 1 against the Blue Jays and Padres ace Dylan Cease did it on July 25 against the Nationals. Snell makes three.

Beyond his historical start Friday, Snell has been on a roll recently: 15 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs allowed, 26 strikeouts in his last two starts. That strikeout number puts him tied for fourth in MLB history for the most strikeouts in a two-start stretch, behind just 2001 Randy Johnson (30), 2022 Cristian Javier (27) and 2015 Max Scherzer (27). Scherzer also struck out 26 in a separate two-game run in 2015.

All of this comes after trade rumors swirled leading up to Tuesday's deadline, though Snell obviously did not move. Instead, the Giants held onto their (very late) offseason signing and the decision immediately paid off.

The Giants still have a shot to sneak into the playoffs, too. They entered play Friday 4 1/2 games out of the last NL wild-card spot, though they have three teams to leapfrog before getting there. Still, they've won six of their last seven games with Snell on a hot streak, Logan Webb's shutout on Wednesday garnering cause for hope and former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray back from Tommy John surgery.

Team this with Snell's no-no on Friday, and things are looking up for the Giants.

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