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Brandon Morrow’s Big Day 8/8/10

Posted by Steve Lombardi on August 8, 2010

By now, you've probably have heard about Morrow's effort today.

So, since 1920 and through yesterday, how many starting pitchers, age 25 or younger, within their 1st 160 big league games, have thrown at least 9 innings while allowing exactly 1 hit while striking out 10+ batters? 

Here's the list: From 1920 to 2010, In first 160 games, requiring IP>=9, H=1, Age<=25 and SO>=10, sorted by most recent date

Rk Gcar Player Age Date Tm Opp Rslt App,Dec IP H R ER BB SO HR Pit Str GSc IR IS BF AB 2B 3B IBB HBP SH SF GDP SB CS PO BK WP ERA WPA RE24 aLI
1 40 Matt Garza 24.228 2008-06-26 TBR FLA W 6-1 CG 9 ,W 9.0 1 1 1 1 10 1 108 76 90     28 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.00 0.295 3.641 .505
2 104 Jeff Weaver 25.273 2002-05-22 DET CLE W 2-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 11 0 125 83 94     32 28 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.572 4.500 1.051
3 59 Kerry Wood 23.343 2001-05-25 CHC MIL W 1-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 14 0 114 73 97     30 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.741 4.490 1.342
4 56 Javier Vazquez 23.081 1999-09-14 MON LAD W 3-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 1 10 0 111 72 94     29 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.598 4.742 1.079
5 5 Kerry Wood 20.324 1998-05-06 CHC HOU W 2-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 0 20 0 122 84 105     29 27 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 0.673 4.742 1.070
6 15 Kevin Millwood 23.111 1998-04-14 ATL PIT W 6-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 0 13 0 131 93 98     29 28 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.339 4.601 .569
7 46 Alan Benes 25.115 1997-05-16 STL ATL L 0-1 GS-9 9.0 1 0 0 3 11 0     93     31 28 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.703 4.712 1.343
8 124 Kevin Appier 25.233 1993-07-27 KCR TEX L 0-1 CG 9 ,L 9.0 1 1 1 1 11 1 106 76 91     28 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.00 0.357 4.044 .827
9 29 Mike Mussina 23.222 1992-07-17 BAL TEX W 8-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 1 10 0 117 80 94     29 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.313 4.207 .653
10 45 Kirk McCaskill 25.077 1986-06-25 CAL TEX W 7-1 CG 9 ,W 9.0 1 1 1 2 10 1     89     30 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.00 0.247 3.742 .467
11 28 Dwight Gooden 19.296 1984-09-07 NYM CHC W 10-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 4 11 0     92     32 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.178 4.036 .362
12 3 Jose DeLeon 22.223 1983-07-31 (2) PIT NYM L 0-1 GS-9 9.0 1 0 0 3 11 0     93     30 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.654 4.077 1.316
13 73 Roger Moret 24.339 1974-08-21 BOS CHW W 4-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 12 0     95     29 26 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.503 4.440 .922
14 124 Nolan Ryan 25.160 1972-07-09 CAL BOS W 3-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 1 16 0     100     29 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.337 3.269 .715
15 107 Clay Kirby 23.085 1971-09-18 SDP SFG W 2-1 CG 9 ,W 9.0 1 1 1 1 10 1 100 72 90     29 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.00 0.635 2.867 1.308
16 116 Tom Seaver 25.179 1970-05-15 NYM PHI W 4-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 3 15 0     97     32 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.366 4.440 .741
17 49 Nolan Ryan 23.077 1970-04-18 NYM PHI W 7-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 6 15 0     94     35 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.266 4.531 .886
18 91 Tom Seaver 24.234 1969-07-09 NYM CHC W 4-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 0 11 0     96     28 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.345 4.157 .516
19 22 Mike Kekich 23.124 1968-08-04 (2) LAD NYM W 2-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 11 0     94     30 27 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.454 3.148 .882
20 53 Dave Boswell 21.191 1966-07-30 MIN BAL W 7-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 1 11 0     95     30 28 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.298 4.167 .518
21 118 Sam McDowell 23.222 1966-05-01 CLE CHW W 1-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 5 10 0     90     34 28 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.696 3.897 1.670
22 105 Sam McDowell 22.344 1965-08-31 (1) CLE KCA W 8-1 CG 9 ,W 9.0 1 1 0 4 11 0     90     32 27 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.419 2.907 .954
23 1 Rudy May 20.274 1965-04-18 CAL DET L 1-4 GS-9 9.0 1 1 0 5 10 0     88     32 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.376 2.828 1.212
24 80 Jim Maloney 23.051 1963-07-23 CIN CHC W 1-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 3 13 0     95     30 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.739 4.046 1.291
25 13 Al Downing 22.004 1963-07-02 NYY CHW W 3-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 6 10 0     89     34 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.426 4.077 .762
26 31 Juan Marichal 23.286 1961-08-02 SFG LAD W 6-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 11 0 124 88 94     30 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.322 4.944 .616
27 22 Steve Barber 22.157 1960-07-28 BAL KCA W 5-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 5 10 0     90     32 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.233 4.359 .489
28 1 Juan Marichal 22.273 1960-07-19 SFG PHI W 2-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 1 12 0     96     30 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.535 4.036 .942
29 69 Ernie Broglio 24.323 1960-07-15 STL CHC W 6-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 2 14 0     97     30 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.378 4.591 .628
30 144 Sandy Koufax 24.145 1960-05-23 LAD PIT W 1-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 6 10 0 135 84 89     34 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.783 4.289 1.281
31 22 Herb Score 22.053 1955-07-30 CLE BAL W 7-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 6 10 0     89     33 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.235 4.117 .582
32 49 Bob Turley 24.219 1955-04-26 NYY CHW W 5-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 9 10 0     86     34 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.359 4.611 .699
33 136 Curt Simmons 23.362 1953-05-16 PHI MLN W 3-0 SHO9 ,W 9.0 1 0 0 0 10 0     95     28 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.539 4.560 .871
34 139 Bob Feller 21.252 1940-07-12 CLE PHA W 1-0   9.0 1 0 0 2 13 0     96     30 28 0 0   0 0           0 1 0.00      
35 96 Bob Feller 20.236 1939-06-27 CLE DET W 5-0   9.0 1 0 0 6 13 0     92     35 29 0 0   0 0           0 0 0.00      
36 88 Bob Feller 20.203 1939-05-25 CLE BOS W 11-0   9.0 1 0 0 5 10 0     90     34 29 0 0   0 0           0 0 0.00      
37 3 Johnny Broaca 24.254 1934-06-14 NYY SLB W 7-0   9.0 1 0 0 6 10 0     89     33 27 0 0   0 0           0 0 0.00      
38 93 Lon Warneke 25.020 1934-04-17 CHC CIN W 6-0   9.0 1 0 0 2 13 0     96     30 27 0 0   0 1           0 0 0.00      
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/8/2010.

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Wow. Rudy May and Juan Marichal did it in their first career big league game! And, seeing that, I checked - and they are the only ones since 1920 to do it in their first career game. Now, there's a trivia question for you.

Related posts:

    Brandon Webb is Stingy
    SS Brandon Crawford a Slam in Debut
    Brandon Allen absolutely crushes a home run – or does he?
    Brandon Morrow finally gets a ground-ball double play
    Most strikeouts in a no-hitter since 1957.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at 6:23 pm and is filed under Game Finders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

27 Responses to “Brandon Morrow’s Big Day 8/8/10”

  1. Tommy Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    what is with the Rays and no-hitters? this almost the third time this year they were no-hit, which if my research is correct would be at least a modern record. they're a very good team, probably a playoff team, so how is it they always manage to find pitchers on their best days?

  2. bluejaysstatsgeek Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    Brandon Morrow is 26 years old, so should the sear criteria have been "Age<=26"?

  3. bluejaysstatsgeek Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:21 pm

    Brandon Morrow is 26 years old, so shouldn't the search criteria have been "Age<=26"?

  4. Gerry Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

    Asking for hits = 1, instead of hits less than or equal to 1, means you miss out on 12 no-hitters, including Jim Maloney's 10-inning effort on 19 August 1965, Don Wilson's 1967 no-hitter in his 15th game, and the perfect games by Mike Witt and Len Barker and the 22 year old Catfish Hunter.

  5. Steve Lombardi Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:36 pm

    bluejaysstatsgeek - Brandon Morrow was born: July 26, 1984
    So, as of 6/30th, at midnight, he was 25-years old. Hence. his "baseball age" for this season is 25. That's why I used 25 on the query.

  6. Steve Lombardi Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    Gerry - yes, no-hitters are not included with the filter. But, Morrow did not pitch a no-hitter, he had a 1-hitter. And, I was looking for those who matched that - not matched or bettered it.

  7. Shazbot Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    Been an awfully bad series for the Rays. 2-1 Loss on errors, 17 runs given up, 1-0 shutout featuring 17 Ks.

  8. devans Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    Anyone know -- is the 17 k's a Blue Jays record?

  9. Scott V. Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 9:31 pm

    #8) Yes, it's a record, unless your name is Roger Clemens! Looks like he had an 18k game as a Blue Jay, and a couple of 16k games.

    http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/tnntC

  10. Scott V. Says:
    August 8th, 2010 at 9:35 pm

    Dang, I stink, I'm double posting. Anyways, the rarity of these types of events compared to the things we look at is always interesting to me.

    Perfect Games: 20
    17-Strikeout Games in 9 innings or less: 36 (including today)

    To Morrow's credit, he did something about five times less likely than a no-hitter, so I guess in this season, those averages play out quite nicely!

  11. Jim Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 7:12 am

    He also threw 97 of his 130 pitches for strikes. Not only is this ratio extremely nasty, I have to believe this is one of the highest totals for a 9 inning game on record. Anyone with more experience with PI want to check?

  12. wboenig Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 7:39 am

    I watched that Dwight Gooden gem in 1984. The fifth inning single by Keith Moreland was a routine grounder to third base that Ray Knight just couldn't get out of his glove. Why it was scored a hit instead of an error was immediately a point of discussion among the announcers, especially in light of the fact that Moreland was the kind of a guy whose home-to-first "sprint" could be timed with a calendar instead of a stopwatch.

  13. Gerry Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 7:53 am

    #6, yes, you were looking for those who matched the number of hits - but you were also looking for those who matched OR EXCEEDED the IP, and for those who matched OR BETTERED the age, and for those who matched OR BETTERED the number of games. What's the point of insisting on an exact match for the hits and only for the hits?

  14. The Juice: 1 out from no-hitter, Brandon Morrow meets Dave Stieb | jZINE| Get Ripped | Get Huge | Get Sports News Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 8:38 am

    [...] and two-thirds: Brandon Morrow(notes) turned in one of the top pitching performances in history, and seemed to take things in stride after Evan Longoria(notes) broke up his no-hitter [...]

  15. Steve Lombardi Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 11:04 am

    Gerry - fair point on the IP item. I should have limited it to just 9 IP. As far as the age, I was just trying to find young guys - his age and not older. So, that's why I used the filter that I did here.

    FWIW, never meant for it to be a list of "exactly like" situations. More so, just a list to stimulate a little conversation spring boarding off the event of the day.

  16. tank1976 Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 11:18 am

    I was thinking, what a way to start in MLB. Who knows what will happen from here, but what a great story to be able to tell later in life.

  17. Ted Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 11:34 am

    #11, here's a list of guys who have thrown at least 95 strikes in a nine inning complete game:

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/shareit/SFZcM

    There are a few guys on the list that have had better strike ratios, and if you expand the search to include games with less total strikes you can find some more, including this game: http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/shareit/XJaea which may be the record with over 80% strikes in a nine-inning complete game.

    Also of note, most strikes thrown in one game of any length:
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/shareit/GucsE

    I wonder what your arm must feel like a day after throwing over 200 pitches.

  18. JeffW Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    I'm wondering how Billy O'Dell's arm felt on Apr. 16, 1962, after tossing 172 pitches in nine against the Dodgers in a 19-8 victory!

    That was just his second start of the season, and they sent him out there to throw a complete-game 15-hitter.

    For the record, he was credited with 111 strikes thrown. Thirty-four were called, 11 were swung at and missed. The rest were hit all over the place, evidently.

  19. Basmati Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    I'm sure this has been brought up before but I see Morrow had a gamescore of 100. That must be pretty rare right? How come he scored 100 if he didn't throw a perfect game?

  20. Evan Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    Basmati @19,

    Game Score isn't scored on a 100 point metric. The score is computed as 50 + 1*Outs + 2*IP after the 4th + 1*K - 2*H - 4*ER - 2*UnearnedRuns - 1*BB.

    This makes the maximum score for a 9 inning game 114 (50 + 27 + 10 + 27, with no deductions ). This would be achieved by throwing a perfect game and striking out all 27 batters.

  21. statboy Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    @20,

    What about striking out 28+ batters in 9 innings?

  22. Johnny Twisto Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    One clarification to Evan's formula: It's two points for each inning completed after the 4th.

  23. Johnny Twisto Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    Basmati, yes, it's rare. The last GS of at least 100 was Randy Johnson's 13-K perfect game in 2004. Game scores are not capped at either end, but the scale basically goes from about 0 to 100, with an average around 50. A score of 100 (especially if it's in 9 IP) is one of the best-pitched games you'll ever see. There have been only 9 games since 1920 with a GS of at least 100 in no more than 9 IP. Three were by Nolan Ryan. There probably aren't too many more prior to 1920 as there were fewer strikeouts. (Most of the scores over 100 are by pitchers who lasted into extra innings -- impressive, no doubt, but hard to compare.)

  24. Evan Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    Good point JT - the page I copied that from had a slightly ambiguous statement of the formula and I neglected to correct it when I pasted.

    Statboy, that is true. It is also true that it needn't be a perfect game since Game Score doesn't punish a pitcher for having a batter reach on an error so long as the runner doesn't score. This does beg the question (in my mind at least) of what is the latest point in a game that a perfect game has ever been broken up by a batter reaching on a strikeout?

  25. Joe Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    Interesting to me that on Saturday, the Jays and rays combined for 28 runs and 29 hits, and on Sunday combined for 1 run and 6 hits. Could that possibly be the record for the largest score and hit differential for consecutive games between two teams? (A difference of 27 runs and 23 hits).

    Also, I think the Blue Jays must now have the record for the most potential no-hitters lost with 2 outs in the 9th inning of any team. Dave Stieb did it 3 times, Halladay did it in his 2nd career start, and now Morrow.

    Stieb deserves a special mention here, as well. In 1988 and 1989, Stieb had 3 no-hitters broken up with 2 outs in the 9th inning, and pitched another 2 1-hitters, before finally finishing a no-no off in 1990. He was one of the best pitchers of the 80's. It's just too bad his career trailed off as sharply as it did.

    Finally, Evan, your last note brings up Johan Santana's latest start in my mind - he had a no-hitter going with 2 outs in the 6th, then struck out Raul Ibanez for what would've been the 3rd out, but the pitch got away and Ibanez reached. On the next pitch, Placido Polanco broke up the no-no with a single. Not exactly the situation you brought up, but similar.

  26. Gerry Says:
    August 9th, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    On 28 September 1919, the Giants beat the Phillies, 6-1, in a game that lasted - wait for it - 51 minutes. I think there was an agreement that the batters would just swing at every pitch to see how quickly they could get through a game. I know we don't have pitch counts, but I bet that close to 100% of the pitches thrown by both teams were strikes.

  27. Mike Gaber Says:
    August 10th, 2010 at 12:29 am

    For fewest pitches in a game by 1 pitcher in a complete game, that might have been during the War years in 1944.
    I thought it was the last game of the season, but it turns out it was on Aug 10, 1944.

    Charley "Red" Barrett pitching for the Boston Braves only needed 58 pitches in a game against/at the Cincinnati Reds.
    Complete game 2-0 shutout, 2 hits, no walks, 58 pitches.

    Time of game was 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    I remember the newspapers in Chicago had more to say about that game than almost all the games during the 1944 season and it didn't involve the 2 Chicago teams.
    They said it was the shortest "night game in history", but obviously not as short as the 51 minute game cited by # 26 above in 1919 which obviously wasn't a night game.

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