Dennis Eckersley pitches a no-hitter as the Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 1 – 0. Frank Tanana, with three shutouts in his last four games, is the loser.
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On May 30, 1977 — Dennis Eckersley pitches a no-hitter as the Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 1 – 0. Frank Tanana, with three shutouts in his last four games, is the loser.
Before transitioning into one of the great relief pitchers of all time, Eckersly was one of the best starting pitchers in the American League.
In no-hitting the Angels, Eckersley struck out 12 and allowed only two batters to reach base. In the first inning Tony Solaita drew a walk, and Bobby Bonds advanced to first following a strikeout and wild pitch. He was erased one batter later when Don Baylor grounded into a double play. In the ninth inning, Eckersley struck out Gil Flores for the final out of the game.
In facing the Angels, Eckersley was in the midst of an incredibly effective streak. In his previous start, May 25, he pitched no-hit ball for 7.2 innings against the Seattle Mariners. He ended up pitching a 12-inning complete game for a 2-1 victory. In his next start following his no-hitter, again facing the Mariners, he pitched 4.2 innings of no-hit ball before yielding a home run to Ruppert Jones. During this three game streak, he pitched 21.1 straight inning of no-hit ball.
In this, his third year in the league, Eckersley finished the 1977 season with a record of 14-13 with a 3.53 ERA. Just before opening day the following season, in a deal long lamented by Cleveland fans, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, along with catcher Fred Kendall, for Ted Cox, Bo Diaz, Mike Paxton and Rick Wise. He would win 20 games that season for the Sox. It was in 1987, with the Oakland A’s that manager Tony LaRussa converted him into a record-breaking, Cy Young and MVP winning relief pitcher. For his 24-year major league career, Eckersley appeared in 1,071 games; 361 starts, 710 in relief. He pitched 100 complete games and recorded 390 saves.
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Retrosheet.org Boxscore:CLE197705300
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