Beckett joins illustrious Dodgers group with no-hitter

PHILADELPHIA -- Josh Beckett no-hit the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, the first no-hitter of the right-hander's career and the 24th in Dodgers franchise history.

The Dodgers hadn't enjoyed a no-no since Hideo Nomo accomplished the feat against the Rockies on Sept. 17, 1996. There have been 11 no-hitters since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Nomo did it at hitter-friendly Coors Field, the first no-hitter in the ballpark's history. He also became the first pitcher born in Japan to toss a no-hitter in the Major Leagues. Nomo struck out eight and walked four.

Sandy Koufax threw four no-hitters, one in each season from 1962-65. Three of those games came at Dodger Stadium -- including Koufax's perfect game against the Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965. That's the only perfect game in the history of the Dodgers.

Koufax also no-hit the Mets and Giants at home, and the Phillies on the road. The Hall of Famer is the only Dodgers pitcher with more than two no-hitters.

Bill Singer held the Phillies hitless on July 20, 1970, the club's only no-hitter of the decade.

The Dodgers then went without a no-no for nearly 10 years, until Jerry Reuss ended the drought on June 27, 1980, in San Francisco.
Another decade passed before Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the Cardinals on June 29, 1990. Valenzuela had the second no-hitter in baseball that day. Oakland's Dave Stewart completed his no-hitter in Toronto roughly 30 minutes before Valenzuela took the mound at Dodger Stadium.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia caught Valenzuela's no-hitter, and he was also behind the plate two years later when Kevin Gross no-hit the Giants on Aug. 17, 1992.

Ramon Martinez fired a no-hitter against the Marlins on July 14, 1995, with Mike Piazza catching. Piazza also caught Nomo's no-hitter.
Before moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958, the Dodgers had 10 no-hitters.

Tom Lovett pitched the first no-hitter after the franchise joined the National League, against the New York Giants on June 22, 1891. The Brooklyn club didn't have another no-hitter until the turn of the century, when Malcolm Eason did it against the Cardinals on July 20, 1906, in St. Louis.

Nap Rucker no-hit Boston in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 5, 1908. Dazzy Vance pulled off the feat against Philadelphia in the first game of a twin bill on Sept. 13, 1925.

The 1930s came and went without a no-hitter. But the Dodgers had three in the '40s. James "Tex" Carleton tossed one in Cincinnati on April 30, 1940; Ed Head added one against Boston on April 23, 1946; and Rex Barney completed the trifecta on Sept. 9, 1948, against the New York Giants.

There were three more no-hitters in the 1950s, when Vin Scully became a Dodgers announcer. Carl Erskine had two of them. His first came on June 19, 1952, against the Cubs. Erskine's second was against the New York Giants on May 12, 1956.

The final no-hitter for the Brooklyn Dodgers belongs to Sal Maglie, who did it against the Phillies on Sept. 25, 1956.

There were three additional no-hitters in the 19th century when the franchise belonged to the American Association. Sam Kimber had a rare 10-inning no-no against the Toledo Blue Stockings on Oct. 4, 1884. Adonis Terry no-hit the St. Louis Browns on July 24, 1886. Terry also had a no-hitter against the Louisville Colonels on May 27, 1888