AP
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers held the Colorado Rockies hitless for nine innings for his first career no-hitter.
Kershaw's no-hitter was not a perfect game due to a seventh inning error by Hanley Ramirez. But it may have been the most dominating performance during a no-hitter in baseball history.
Kershaw struck out 15 batters.
Only Nolan Ryan had more strikeouts in a no-hitter. In 1973, Ryan struck out 17 in a no-hitter, but also walked four batters. In 1991, Ryan had a 16-strikeout no-hitter, but walked two batters.
Kershaw did not walk a batter.
In the last 100 years, this was just the 31st time a pitcher pitched at least nine innings and did not allow a hit or a walk. Of those 19 were perfect games.
Kershaw needed just 107 pitches.
In the last 100 years, there have been 26 no-hitters during which the pitcher also struck out at least ten batters and the pitch total is known. Of those, only four pitchers needed fewer than 107 pitches to complete their no-hitter.
Kershaw had a Game Score of 102.
Kershaw's 102 Game Score (measures a pitcher's all-around performance) was the second-highest in the last 100 years for a pitcher that pitched just nine innings.
In 1998, Kerry Wood of the Cubs had a Game Score of 105 when he struck out 20 batters and walked none. But unlike Kershaw, Wood gave up a hit in that game.
Kershaw's performance was better than a no-hitter.
In 2011, Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins threw a no-hitter that included six walks and just two strikeouts for a Game Score of 83. In 2010, Edwin Jackson needed 149 pitches to throw a no-hitter with six strikeouts and eight walks.
Yet, Kershaw's performance is thrown into the same category as those when it deserves so much more.
Reuters