Chicago Cubs No-Hit Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB Record Tied

Four Chicago Cubs pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, making history in the process. It was the seventh no-hitter this year, tying the mark for the most in a single season before the All-Star break.

Cubs starter Zach Davies tossed six no-hit innings and was replaced with a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning after throwing 94 pitches. Relievers Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin shut down Los Angeles in the seventh and eighth inning, respectively. Closer Craig Kimbrel finished off the 4-0 victory at Dodger Stadium by striking out the side.

“When you have that confidence and how these guys have been throwing, obviously that’s a huge deal and a part of it, you feel really secure about a four-run lead,” Cubs manager David Ross told reporters. “Then you get to the ninth, I don’t know that I’ve been as nervous in a long time with a 4-0 lead and two outs with Craig Kimbrel on the mound than I was tonight.”

It is the first no-hitter in 2021 accomplished by multiple pitchers, and the first combined no-no in Cubs history. Chicago issued eight total walks to Los Angeles batters. Davies had five walks and four strikeouts. The three relievers each allowed a free pass of their own.

None of the other six no-hitters this season featured more than one walk. San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove and Chicago White Sox starter Carlos Rodon allowed no walks and one hit batter in their no-hitters. Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means was a dropped a third strike away from pitching a perfect game.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner allowed no hits against the Atlanta Braves over the course of seven innings in one half of a doubleheader on April 25. It is not in the record books as an official no-hitter because Bumgarner failed to pitch nine innings.

The Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers have all been no-hit twice this season. While those teams all rank in the bottom half of the league in runs scored, the Dodgers have MLB’s second-best offense.

Davies allowed eight runs in his previous outing and has a medicore 4.31 ERA in 16 starts. The Cubs rank seventh in the National League with a 3.70 ERA.

The Dodgers have now been the victims of a no-hitter for an MLB record 20 times, and they are just the sixth defending World Series champions to be no-hit in the last 50 years, according to ESPN.

Prior to this season, there had never been seven no-hitters before July 1. The record for no-hitters in one year is on pace to be shattered.

Chicago’s feat came just days after MLB officially started to crack down on the use of sticky substances by pitchers. Hitting has been at an all-time low with a leaguewide batting average around .237.

Los Angeles is on a four-game losing streak and fell to 4.5 games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants in the NL West standings. Chicago is tied with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the NL Central.