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MLB, Sports

MLB: Musgrove, Rodón No-Hitters Highlight First Two Weeks of Season

The MLB season started only two weeks ago, and there have already been two no-hitters. It's not even May yet. Baseball is so Back!
Posted by Thomas Senerchia  |  

The MLB, its players and its fans were all looking forward to the first full, 162-game season since 2019. Well, the players wasted no time kicking off the season. It is only the middle of April and there have already been two no-hitters thrown this season.

Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres no-hit the Texas Rangers in a 3-0 victory April 9th. And just four days later, Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox threw one of his own against Cleveland.

April 14th is the earliest in a season in MLB history where there have already been two no-hitters. For a league that has become so offensive-minded with bat flips and pure emotion from hitters… it was really cool to see these two dominant performances by Musgrove and Rodón.

Musgrove Dominates at Globe Life Park

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The Padres acquired Musgrove from the Pittsburgh Pirates, adding another solid arm to a stacked rotation. You can officially add Musgrove to the list of former Pirates who turn into great ballplayers, as Musgrove has thrown the first no-hitter in Padres history.

Musgrove is from the San Diego area, so the emotions were there as the hometown kid etched his name into his hometown team’s history books. This game was at Globe Life Park in Arlington, the only MLB stadium currently allowing full capacity.

It was truly awesome to see a no-hitter thrown in a full-capacity stadium given how the last year has been for sports and for the world. MLB Network blessed out-of-region fans by putting the 9th inning on TV, so I was able to watch the first no-hitter I have ever seen.

I used to be that fan that never tuned in because I didn’t want to jinx the pitcher. I stopped that when I realized how much history I was missing out on.

Musgrove couldn’t be stopped from the first pitch. His stuff seemed to have more and more movement as the game progressed, and he struck out 10 on his way to the no-hitter and a 3-0 victory.

That no-hitter just nine days into the season was more than enough satisfaction for fans like myself. No-hitters are rare, so it was nice to get one early considering it probably won’t happen again this season, right?

Rodón No-Hits Cleveland Two Outs Shy of Perfect Game

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It didn’t even last a week until baseball fans were back in the same boat again.

Just four days since Musgrove’s no-no, Carlos Rodón had a night of his own against the Cleveland Indians. He struck out seven on his way to a no-hitter and an 8-0 White Sox victory.

The craziest part is Rodón had a perfect game with one out in the 9th inning until he hit Roberto Pérez in the foot. Nevertheless, he went on to record the other two outs and complete the no-hitter.

This was the 20th no-hitter in White Sox history, most in the history of the American League. It’s only second in the entire MLB to the Dodgers, who have 23 no-hitters of their own. This is also the second White Sox no-hitter in two seasons, as Lucas Giolito no-hit the Pirates last summer in the 2020 season.

Rodón is the first pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter within two years of undergoing Tommy John surgery. His three-fastest pitches came in the 9th inning, so this was truly a historic performance for Rodón.

MLB Network yet again blessed us with the 9th inning coverage, so this was the second no-hitter I have ever watched and they were only four days apart from each other.

Like the Padres, the White Sox have themselves a solid rotation featuring Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel, Michael Kopech and of course Rodón.

Bottom Line


What a first two weeks it has been for the MLB. Welcome back baseball, we missed you.

The MLB hasn’t seen a perfect game since Felix Hernandez threw one in 2012, but two no-hitters in four days is a milestone for baseball in its own right.

The Padres and White Sox are expected to be contenders for their league pennants, respectively. Both these rotations are highlighted by bigger names. But to see what middle of the rotation guys like Musgrove and Rodón are capable of this early on in the season is awesome. It will be really exciting to see these players on the mound when the lights are bright in October.

But bottom line, what a start it has been to the 2021 MLB season. It only makes you excited about what else we are in store for these next few months.

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