Yes, Josh Beckett.
The Dodgers have the most no-hitters in the history of baseball with 20 going into today. There had been four during my lifetime: Fernando Valenzuela (1990), Kevin Gross (1992), Ramon Martinez (1995), and Hideo Nomo (1996). So I was just starting seventh grade the last time they had one. I'm pretty sure I didn't watch any of those four games. Last year, I wrote about going to Philadelphia because I didn't want to take the chance that I'd miss Clayton Kershaw's first no-hitter. Kershaw pitched a great game, but a no-hitter wasn't to be that night. Little did I know that Josh Beckett would throw the first no-hitter for the Dodgers in almost 18 years in Philadelphia nine months later. I never really considered going to see the Dodgers this weekend. I went to Washington last weekend, I'll be away next weekend, and I didn't have much interest in dealing with Memorial Day weekend traffic. If I had gone to one of the games, it probably would have been yesterday anyway. So it's not like I'm kicking myself about not being there for this game, even though it would have been awesome.
I've mentioned how I think you should start getting excited about the possibility of a no-hitter after five innings. Today, I think I first noticed that Beckett hadn't given up a hit around the fourth inning. There's no way that was going to last. Actually, before that, I was thinking he'd be lucky to get through six. I started the game by eating some delicious left over Jimmy's as Josh Beckett struggled through the first inning. He walked a batter in the first and second innings. After three innings, he had thrown 54 pitches (I think that's what I heard before, sounds about right). But then he cruised through the next five innings. It was going to be a great performance even if Beckett had lost the no-hitter, but after two quick outs in the ninth, I really wanted him to finish it. Beckett was one strike away with Jimmy Rollins, but he walked him. Chase Utley made Beckett work, but he struck him out looking with a perfectly located fastball on a full count. With that, the Dodgers' longest no-hitter drought in history was over.
I actually was there for Josh Beckett's first start as a Dodger. After giving up a home run on his second pitch, he actually did pitch pretty well, but the Rockies turned it into a blowout after he left the game. Obviously, that trade worked out well for the Red Sox, but it has helped the Dodgers as well. Adrian Gonzalez has been very solid and Carl Crawford was a contributor last year (he makes a lot more than he'd get on the open market, but he can still do some things). When the trade happened, my attitude was: you definitely want Gonzalez, Crawford could still be a good player even if he's getting paid too much, and Beckett ... well, we only have to pay him for a couple more years. I had lost hope for Beckett. He was actually pretty good with the Dodgers at the end of 2012 (2.93 ERA in seven starts), but he was horrendous last year (5.19 ERA in eight starts before spending the rest of the season on the DL). He had one really good start in Arizona that the Dodgers lost 1-0, but he allowed at least three runs in every other start. With his poor pitching and missing most of last season with an injury, I was pretty sure his days as a decent to good starting pitcher were over. When Terrence took him in my fantasy league this year, I made fun of him. Well, I was wrong. Beckett has been very solid this year. He had been pitching pretty well, but he wasn't getting run support. In his first six starts, he had five no decisions and one loss. He finally got a win in his seventh start. And now he's on a three game winning streak. I worry about whether or not he'll stay healthy. But if he does, I'm fairly confident now that he will pitch well.
It's been a somewhat rough start for the Dodgers this year (not as bad as last year, but I'm certainly not satisfied). Maybe Beckett's no-hitter will get the momentum going. I'm glad I was able to watch it (I'm assuming Dodger fans in southern California who don't get Time Warner Cable are going crazy right now). Thanks Josh Beckett for a memorable day. Hopefully he'll give us a few more in October.
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