OTHER SIDE of the COIN: What was the best pitched game you ever saw?

[clydepepper]

On TV, it was definitely Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter vs. the Reds. Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it.

[z28jd]

In person, the best pitched games I ever saw were back-to-back starts from Cole Hamels as a 19-year-old in low-A ball. He threw six perfect innings and a 7 inning one-hitter. He had 24 strikeouts and there wasn't one hard hit ball, fair or foul in either game. His change-up at that age was unreal, batters were missing it so bad, you would think they were told that a 95 MPH fastball was coming

[CurtisFlood]

Saw Steve Carlton throw a one hit complete game shutout of the Cubs in 1967.He struck out ten and won 1-0. Glenn Beckert dribbled a ball through Mike Shannon and Dal Maxvill about the fourth inning for the only hit.

Carlton's slider was impressive, looked like it hit something and broke straight down. He was as close to untouchable as any pitcher I ever saw on a given day.

[Runscott]

On t.v., Mike Scott's no-hitter to win the division on the last day of the season.

In person, Nolan's 7th

[GregMitch34]

On the radio, the greatest pitched game ever: Spahn vs. Marichal, 1-0, 16 innings, both pitched complete games, Willie Mays, my hero, won it with dinger.

[insidethewrapper]

In person, I was at the Nolan Ryan No-Hitter vs Tigers at Tiger Stadium when he had 17 K's.

[jimtigers65]

How about the game I almost saw; a couple years ago I had a chance to see a Tuesday night Giants game but decided not to go. Matt Cain threw a perfect game that night.

[clydepepper]

On TV, it was definitely Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter vs. the Reds. Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it.


I'd have to add Kerry Wood's 1-hit, 20-strikeout game and Pedro's 1-hit, 17 strikeout game vs. the Yankees as my next two.

[clydepepper]

Oh, and the one I saw the start of only - April 26, 1990 - Nolan Ryan's 1-hit, 16 strikeout game vs. the White Sox.

It was my wedding night, so I did not get to see the finish...I know, I know... TMI

[kmac32]

Carlos Zambrano almost throwing a no no against the Diamondbacks at Arizona around 2006 or 2007

[itjclarke]

How about the game I almost saw; a couple years ago I had a chance to see a Tuesday night Giants game but decided not to go. Matt Cain threw a perfect game that night.

I have the opposite story about that game. I was offered a pair of tickets about 4 hrs before the game by my neighbor and accepted. Aside from the Giants playing good ball, there wasn't much added gate appeal for a Tuesday night game vs the Astros, so there were lots of no shows, and tickets given away. Anyway, it was an amazing night and I got some good video of the final out from about 15-20 rows back of 1st base.

Earlier that year, while kicking off my bachelor weekend, I saw Cain and C Lee go toe to toe into the 10th in a 0-0 tie... think Cain gave up 1 hit. Giants eventually won in extras. Cain was just nails in 2012.

Another memorable game was Timmy's complete game, 14 K, 1-0 shutout in game 1 of the 2010 NLDS vs the Braves. The combo of its being a younger Timmy in full form, overpowering to the last out, and a super raucus crowd (many wearing the "Let Timmy Smoke" t's that were very popular in 2010).. and the fact I was with my dad, make that a game I'll remember forever.

[Wite3]

Just the other day...I (and many other net54 members) happened to be at the Kershaw no hitter...it was by far the most masterful game I have ever seen pitched...near perfect against the best hitting team in baseball...unreal.

Joshua

[ZenPop]

I've seen many a pitching gem (Nolan Ryan fanning 14, 1-hitters, etc) but considering the circumstances... I'll repeat what I posted in the "Most Historic Thread"...

August 10, 1989: San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds
DAVE DRAVECKY's comeback game.

He lost half of his deltoid muscle when they removed a cancerous tumor... The doctors told him he would never pitch again. About a year later he warmed up in the bullpen and received one of 10 standing ovations that day.

He pitched seven innings and gave up only one hit before finally getting touched up for 3 runs in the 8th. The Giants nailed down the victory, 4-3. Unbelievable game.

He would go on a bit later to pitch in Montreal where he would pitch outstanding ball for another five or so innings before his arm snapped. I remember that one, too... watching on tv and seeing his arm wrap around his body as he released the pitch... he looked like he got shot.

He would go on to lose that arm... but his strength and determination will always stay in my memory. I was in the bleachers that day, screaming my lungs out for him. AMAZING day.

[itjclarke]

Dravecky's comeback was amazing. What a great memory to have. I see they gave him an on field tribute last weekend. I'd have loved to have been there for that.

[freakhappy]

Just the other day...I (and many other net54 members) happened to be at the Kershaw no hitter...it was by far the most masterful game I have ever seen pitched...near perfect against the best hitting team in baseball...unreal.

Joshua

Taking nothing away from his no-hitter, but that was a mere shell of Colorado's actual lineup...to say that lineup was the best hitting team in baseball is just a bad joke.

[alaskapaul3]

Got to see Terry Mulholland's no hitter at the Vet against the Giants in '90. It was as close to a perfect game as you could get. One batter reached via an error charged to Charlie Hayes, but was erased on a double play , so he faced the minimum 27 batters. Last hitter was PH Bill Bathe who lined out on a great play and was robbed of a double by, you guessed it, Charlie Hayes.

[bcbgcbrcb]

For me, as a huge Blue Jays fan during the late 1980's, the last game of the 1987 season matched the Blue Jays against the Detroit Tigers. I may not have the details exactly correct but Jimmy Key had something like a two hit shutout but gave up a solo home run at the end of the game. Doyle Alexander of the Tigers, a late season acquisition, never gave up a run and the Tigers won 1-0. A great pitching performance on both sides as that game meant everything. With a win, the Blue Jays would have tied Detroit for the AL East title and forced a one game playoff. Instead, Detroit won the division and went on to the ALCS.

[bwbc917]

Sam McDowell is still etched in my mind. Not because of his pitching performance versus the Senators, but because Al Dark put him at 2B rather than face Frank Howard.
The reliever walked Howard and then faced the next batter who hit a grounder and Sam had to cover 2nd for the force out on Howard. Sam stumbled and went down on his knees at the bag. We were lucky he wasn't trampled by Howard.

[steve B]

Best I've seen in person were a couple of Pedros games that were in the 13-15 strikeouts range. I don't recall exactly which dates, but I did try to make my Fenway visits on days he was pitching.

Steve B

[MooseDog]

Can't remember the year, but it was a year or two after PacBell Park opened in SF. I'm an A's fan but I did go to a few Giants games each year.

Had a chance to see Greg Maddux pitch so I went. He was facing Livan Hernandez. Braves scored first and Maddux and Hernandez went pitch for pitch for eight innings both throwing strikes and wasting no time between pitches. Maddux made one bad pitch, Rich Aurelia nailed it for a two run homer in the 7th and the Giants won 2-1 with Robb Nen pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.

Time of the game 1 hour 46 minutes. I on the train and got home before 10:30 that night. Usually I'm lucky to make it back from a Giants game by midnight.

Having been a pitcher in my high school days this was very cool to see rather than the 14-12 four hour slugfests that were going on at the time.

[tedzan]

October 8th, 1956..... I told my Mom that I didn't feel well (I really wanted to see a World Series game in its entirety)...... so, I played "hooky" and
switched the TV on at noon.

Yes, that was the day Don Larsen pitched his PERFECT game vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the 1st inning, Pee Wee Reese worked the count to 3-2.
This was the only at bat by any of the 27 Dodgers to face Larsen that day that went that deep into the count.

Larsen, modestly, said at the end of the game...."the Dodgers made it easy, I only threw 96 pitches".

The real moment of truth occurred in the 5th inning. Gil Hodges drives Larsen's pitch to deep Left-Center field. Mickey Mantle on the run, catches
the ball in front of the wall at the 457-foot mark.


http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/zanted86/donlarsenperfectphoto.jpg


Summer of 2007, I met Don Larsen in Cooperstown, he signed this photo, and we talked for about 1/2 an hour about this great game.
Don is a tremendous guy to talk with.


T-Rex TED
.

[slidekellyslide]

Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout game on WGN....followed closely by The Rocket's 20K game against the Mariners on NESN. I have Clemens game taped on a VHS tape...NESN always reran the game later that night or early in the morning so I made sure to tape it. :)

[packs]

I was at David Cone's Perfect Game against the Expos.

[hoot-owl]

Living in Boston in the late 80's. Invited my future in-laws to a Red Sox vs. Royals double header. In the first game Clemens beat Saberhagen 3-1 striking out 16 Royals while walking only one (only run was unearned). Pure domination. Don't remember the second game.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Many games pitched by Pedro. When his changeup was on (most of the time) and whe as getting extra inches on the outside corner (sometimes), he was close to unhittable.

[Centauri]

There's been a couple of Pedro games mentioned, but for me it was against my Indians in the 1999 playoffs. Deciding game, in Cleveland, but Pedro was injured and did not start.

With the score 8-8, Pedro decided to give it a go. He proceeded to pitch 6 innings of no-hit ball. Completely shut down a very good group of hitters, in a hitters park, after they had been knocking the cover off the ball for the first few innings. Yes, the Red Sox won that game.

Pedro put up numbers like Kershaw, but did it at the height of the steroid era. I didn't see it, but he went 9 innings perfect in Montreal, but got nothing for it.

[Peter_Spaeth]

There's been a couple of Pedro games mentioned, but for me it was against my Indians in the 1999 playoffs. Deciding game, in Cleveland, but Pedro was injured and did not start.

With the score 8-8, Pedro decided to give it a go. He proceeded to pitch 6 innings of no-hit ball. Completely shut down a very good group of hitters, in a hitters park, after they had been knocking the cover off the ball for the first few innings. Yes, the Red Sox won that game.

Pedro put up numbers like Kershaw, but did it at the height of the steroid era. I didn't see it, but he went 9 innings perfect in Montreal, but got nothing for it.

That game was a classic example of what I was talking about. The strike zone that day was about a mile wide, as I recall. :D If someone can throw a 95 mph fastball two inches outside and consistently get a called strike, it's over for the batters.