Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner as best pitcher in Major League Baseball, threw a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Friday, striking out 11 in San Francisco’s 3-0 victory over the Reds.
The 31-year-old American left-hander issued only three walks, tossing 78 strikes in his 114 pitches to hurl his first MLB no-hitter in his first career complete game. Snell had never been beyond 7 2/3 innings before.
Snell won his first Cy Young Award in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays and collected his second last year in his third campaign with the San Diego Padres.
Snell, who signed a two-year contract worth $62 million with the Giants in March, tossed the 18th no-hitter in Giants history — the first since Chris Heston against the New York Mets in 2015.
It was the third no-hitter of the MLB season after San Diego’s Dylan Cease notched one against Washington last month and Houston’s Ronel Blanco bested Toronto in April.
The Reds had not lost a no-hitter since Oakland’s Mike Fiers baffled every Cincinnati batter in 2019.
Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt smacked home runs to provide all the attack the Giants needed in a game that started an hour late due to rain.
The Reds tumbled to 52-57, last in the National League Central division, while the Giants improved to 55-56, fourth in the NL West.