Game Summary
- What happened: Nolan Ryan (age 44) threw his seventh and final no-hitter, for the Texas Rangers versus the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Final Score: Rangers 3, Blue Jays 0.
- Location: Arlington Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
- Attendance: 33,439 spectators
- Length of Game: Approximately 2 hours 25 minutes.
Pitching Performance & Key Stats
- Ryan’s performance: He struck out 16 batters, walked 2.
- Total pitches: 122 pitches, with 83 strikes.
- Opposing team: The Blue Jays were then among the best hitting teams in baseball, yet were held hitless.
- Final out: Future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar struck out swinging on a fastball to end the game.
Offensive & Other Highlights
- The Rangers scored 3 runs off Blue Jays starter Jimmy Key.
- One of the runs was (at least) a home run by Rubén Sierra.
- Defensively, a few near-hits were erased; for example, a “short fly out to center” (Gary Pettis is credited with a big defensive catch) when the Jays threatened.
Context & Backstory
- Physical condition: Ryan was not feeling great — dealing with back and heel pain, etc. He told manager Bobby Valentine and pitching coach Tom House that he might not make it through the first inning.
- Significance: This was the first no-hitter thrown by a Ranger at home (Arlington Stadium). Prior no-hit games by Ryan were on the road or with other teams.
- At age 44, Ryan became the oldest pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter.
Commentators / Broadcast Information
- Canadian television (Blue Jays side): Don Chevrier called the game. He was a long-time commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays.
- It’s noted that the game “was broadcast in Canada and picked up nationally by ESPN” according to Sports Illustrated’s retrospective.
- It seems locally (in Texas) the game may not have been televised (or at least not widely shown), so many fans listened on radio.
thank you
nathankc for putting this game on my radar, classic!
