Jose Altuve Ties Unlikely Record
MLB.com
Jose Altuve has had a career matched by very few. Two World Series rings, an MVP, eight all-star appearances, six silver slugger awards, and a gold glove. Not to mention leading the league in average three separate times, hits in four different seasons, and steals twice. Yet, after the final pitch of Framber Valdez’s no-hitter against the Guardians, Altuve accomplished something only one man in the modern baseball age has done. He tied the record for most no-hitter appearances by a player at seven, putting him with Nolan Ryan and his career seven no-hitters.
Starting in his first full season, he was a part of the last season when the Astros were a National League team, but that did not stop Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants from giving them a goodbye gift in the form of a Perfect Game. Altuve struck out all three times against Cain and his 14-strikeout performance on June 13th, 2012.
It took a trade and three years to reach the next no-hitter. This time he was the perennial all-star of the rebooting Astros, on the cusp of greatness, when Mike Fiers took the mound on August 21st, 2015 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fiers who had never thrown a complete game at the Major League Level, threw 134 against the Juggernaut Dodgers and tossed the first no-hitter at Minute Maid Park. Fiers did not allow a ball out of the infield between the 2nd and 8th innings. Altuve went 1-4 with eight assists behind Fiers. In the stands that night was Nolan Ryan, and I doubt he would ever guess someone would tie his record.
Fiers no-hitter was the last for the Astros for nearly four seasons. In that time the Astros had made it to the playoffs each year except for 2016 and had won the World Series in 2017 (though not without controversy). At the trade deadline, the Astros made a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bigaini for Derek Fisher. It was Sanchez's first start for the Astros on August 3rd, 2019, and it was unclear what the Astros would get out of him. Sanchez would quiet doubters, pitching six no-hit innings with only 2 walks given up and six strikeouts. However, he had thrown 92 pitches, and given his injury history, it was decided to pull him from the game. For his part Altuve was 2 for 5 in the game, hitting a home run in the fifth off Seattle Mariner starter Marco Gonzales. He also had five assists in the effort. Sanchez was replaced by Will Harris, Joe Bigaini (also his Astros debut), and Chris Devenski to complete the second combined no-hitter in Astros history.
It took less than a month for the next no-hitter to occur. Justin Verlander, who himself has been a part of three no-hitters, two pitched and one against, found himself on the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 1st, 2019. After a one-out walk to Cavan Biggio in the first, Verlander was perfect the rest of the way, winning the game 2-0 for his third career no-hitter, striking out 14 Blue Jays. Jose Altuve went 1-4 in the game and only had one assist the whole game.
The New York Yankees have been stingy on getting no-hits, having only been no-hit once within the 21st century, that is a combined no-hitter from the Houston Astros in 2003. Nearly 20 years later, now in a new ballpark across the street, the Yankees found themselves up against the Astros in a similar predicament. Astros starter Cristian Javier went seven innings allowing no hits on one walk and 13 strikeouts. However his pitch count was 115, so he was pulled for Hector Neris who walked two but didn’t allow a hit. Finally Ryan Pressley came in and shut the door with two strikeouts and a ground out to complete the third combined no-hitter in Astros history. Altuve went 1-3 with a home run, two walks and again, only one assist to back his starter, as nothing came his way in the game except for a force out.
Similar to 2019, the Astros only had to wait a few months for their next no-hitter, this time in Philadelphia versus the Phillies, in game four of the World Series. The Astros were down two games to one, and on the mound was once again Cristian Javier. He went six innings, allowing two walks with nine strikeouts. However, his pitch count was 97, so given the circumstances, manager Dusty Baker went to his bullpen, who did not disappoint. Bryan Abreu came in and struck out the side, and Rafael Montero entered the eighth, also perfect. Jose Altuve was a near non-factor in this game and series, only having one hit in five plate appearances with only one assist in the game. Once the ninth came, the ball was given to Ryan Pressly one more time, to finish out history. With two outs, J.T Realmuto grounded out on the first pitch to Alex Bregman to close out the third no-hitter in postseason history, the second at Citizen’s Bank Park, after Roy Halladay’s no hitter in 2010, and the first no-hitter in the World Series in Don Larsen in 1956.
Finally, we come to August 1st, 2023, the trade deadline had passed with the news that Justin Verlander was reacquired by the Astros, exciting the fanbase going into the Framber Valdez start that night in Houston. Once again another familiar face was found starting at second base. Altuve, having touched the infield dirt nearly 1,600 times was about ready to witness history once again. Valdez kept Altuve busy during the game, giving him five assists over the nine innings of work. Only one walk was allowed in the first five innings, later erased on a double play. Guardians fan and of Jomboy Media tweeted this.
By the eighth, the word had spread across baseball, ground outs, line outs, strikeouts, nothing but a donut in the hit column. By the time the ninth rolled around, only one other man had been in that position, Nolan Ryan, and I doubt Jose even realized the history on the line for himself. The first out rolled over to Altuve to start the ninth. After a flyout, Cam Gallagher came to the plate and on 0-2 a bad curve came into the zone and this happened.
For the seventh time in his career, Jose Altuve was a part of baseball history, but not only that. He himself paired with Nolan Ryan, as the only two players (at least) in the modern era to start and appear in seven no-hitters.
