On Sept. 17, 1996, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hideo Nomo braved the elements and defied the odds to throw a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The no-no was one of two Nomo tossed during his 12-year career.
The second came in 2001 when Nomo, then with the Boston Red Sox, threw the first no-hitter in Camden Yards history. Nomo’s historic game with the Dodgers came with the club locked in a pennant race, and was the 20th no-hitter in franchise history.
He was provided ample run support, with Eric Karros, Raul Mondesi and Tim Wallach combining for five RBI. Nomo even helped his cause, connecting on an RBI single in the eighth inning.
But his true magic that night was of course done on the mound. Nomo endured a rain delay that lasted just over one hour, and threw 110 pitches on the night.
On this day in 1996, Hideo Nomo throws the first no-hitter in Coors Field history. pic.twitter.com/ghzuObBQXI
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 17, 2019
He induced a pair of groundouts in the ninth inning before ending the game with a strikeout of Ellis Burks. Nomo walked four batters and had nine strikeouts.
Nomo’s no-hitter still holds as the only such game at Coors Field. He finished the 1996 season with a 16-11 record and 3.19 ERA.
Over seven seasons with the Dodgers (1995-98; 2002-04), the right-hander went 81-66 with a 3.74 ERA. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1995 and spawned the birth of ‘Nomomania’ at Dodger Stadium.
Nomo’s no-hitter was ranked by fans as Vin Scully’s No. 14 call of all-time in a poll conducted by the Dodgers.
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