It hadn't been done in 33 years.
John Montefusco was the last Giants' pitcher to throw a no-hitter (1976 in Atlanta).
Even though no Giants' pitcher has thrown a no-no during his lifetime, reigning N.L. Cy Young Tim Lincecum had a feeling that the Giants might be due to end the drought.
Per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Lincecum said yesterday, "Someone might throw a no-hitter and it might not be the ace of the squad. It might be an unsung hero kind of guy. Anybody can do anything."
Jonathan Sanchez, who started in place of the injured Randy Johnson, allowed no runs, no hits and no walks. However, teammate Juan Uribe's error in the eighth inning means Sanchez will have to settle for a no-hitter.
"I think if you looked at the staff, he wouldn't be the one you picked," Bochy said. "He came out throwing 94-96 [mph]. He just had incredible stuff."
Sanchez, who only threw 110 pitches, struck out a career-high 11 batters.
Last night was the first start for Sanchez since June 22nd and his first win since May 25th.
On the season, the Giants have 13 shutouts, which lead the majors.
The Giants easily have the best pitching staff in baseball, especially if Johnson comes back healthy. Zito is clicking, Lincecum and Cain are of course locks, and hopefully Sanchez can keep this up.
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