Looking back at Cardinals' no-hitter history

It's been 94 years since the Cardinals had their first no-hitter in franchise history, and it's happened eight times since. From Hall of Famer Bob Gibson to rookie sensation Bud Smith, all kinds of pitchers have celebrated a no-no in Cardinal red.

MLB.com looks back at the Cardinals' no-hitter history.

Sept. 3 2001: Smith, Cardinals 4, Padres 0
It's been 17 years since Smith and Albert Pujols embraced on the grass at Busch Stadium. The then-21-year-old rookie Smith successfully fielded a grounder from Phil Nevin and softly lofted the final out to first.

Smith struck out seven and walked four on 134 pitches through nine innings. In a tough call, manager Tony La Russa decided to keep Smith in the game to complete the no-no.

Smith was traded to the Phillies in 2002 and later retired in 2007, but his sensational outing against the Padres remains the Cardinals' most recent no-hitter.

June 25, 1999: Jose Jimenez, Cardinals 1, D-backs 0
The Cardinals mobbed Jimenez on the grass at Bank One Park (now Chase Field) moments after the rookie leaped with both fists in the air and a smile on his face.

Rarely did a starting pitcher win his battle on the hill against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, but in 1999 Jimenez did so with a no-hitter in front of a crowd of 47,000. He struck out eight with 101 pitches over nine innings, and the only run scored in the game was a two-out RBI from Thomas Howard in the top of the 9th.

The Cardinals' win was as close as a game can get, and also came at the hands of a rookie taking control on the mound.

"I'm very, very happy. It's unbelievable," Jimenez told the LA Times in 1999. "It's indescribable. I don't have words."

Sept. 26, 1983: Bob Forsch, Cardinals 3, Expos 0
In 1983, Bob Forsch joined an exclusive group when he threw the second no-hitter of his career. Forsch fanned six Expos in a near-perfect game, which ended when he nailed Gary Carter in the arm in the second inning.

The Cardinals backed Forsch with three runs brought in by Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee and Lonnie Smith.

"He was probably the best competitor I played with," former Cardinal Willie McGee said of Forsch to MLB.com. Forsch, the only Cardinals pitcher with multiple no-hitters, passed away in September 2011 at the age of 61.

April 16, 1978: Bob Forsch, Cardinals 5, Phillies 0
Forsch's first no-hitter was also the first no-no thrown in St. Louis in 54 years. Forsch struck out just three batters in nine innings and walked two.

Fans in St. Louis witnessed Forsch's outstanding performance against the Phillies that Sunday, and Forsch managed to avoid several close calls that resulted in fielding errors instead of hits.

The Cardinals scored five, three of which came on a Roger Freed pinch-hit triple in the sixth inning.

Aug. 14, 1971: Gibson, Cardinals 11, Pirates 0
Gibson, the Cardinals' beloved Hall of Famer, fanned 10 en route to a convincing win over the Pirates in front of 30,678 at Three Rivers Stadium. Had the Pirates gotten a hit or two it probably wouldn't have mattered, considering Joe Torre and Ted Simmons each had four hits in the Cardinals' 11-run evening.

Gibson won nearly 60 percent of the games he pitched during his 17-year career in St. Louis. He won 251 games, two World Series titles, and two Cy Young Awards. He also appeared in nine All-Star games.

Sept. 18, 1968: Ray Washburn, Cardinals 2, Giants, 0
Only 4,703 fans were in attendance for Washburn's masterpiece at Candlestick Park in 1968. Washburn and Bobby Bolin dueled back and forth for six scoreless innings before Curt Flood and Mike Shannon scored the Cardinals' two runs in the 7th and 8th. Bolin exited the game after seven, but Washburn stayed in. He had history to make.

Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals the day before, and Washburn's outing marked the first time a no-hitter was thrown in back-to-back games.

Washburn's 13th win of the season was a beauty. He struck out eight and walked five to give the Cards their fourth no-hitter in franchise history.

Aug. 30, 1941: Lon Warneke, Cardinals 2, Reds 0
Warneke needed only an hour and 50 minutes to no-hit the Reds in front of a small crowd of 9,858 at Crosley Field. It was a spectacular outing for the Cardinals defense, as Warneke struck out just two despite facing the minimum through nine innings.

Reds infielder Lonny Frey walked, but was retired in a double play.

Elmer Riddle also threw a complete game for Cincinnati, but allowed two runs in the 7th on an error, enough for a Cardinals victory.

Sept. 21, 1934: Paul Dean, Cardinals 3, Dodgers 0
Ten years following the first St. Louis no-hitter, Dean gave the franchise another.

It had been three starts and nearly two weeks since Dean threw nine innings or fewer for the Cards. In his previous two outings, the rookie Dean tossed 11 and 12 innings, respectively, so a no-hit, nine-inning complete game was both historic and relieving.

Dean struck out six at Ebbets Field that Friday night in the second game of a doubleheader. Dean's brother, Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean, pitched the game before.

''If I'd known Paul was going to pitch a no-hitter, I'd have pitched one, too,'' Dizzy told The New York Times.

Dean had a solid day at the plate, as well, reaching twice, including a double and an RBI.

Dean's six seasons in St. Louis added up to 79 starts in 124 games. The no-hitter, along with a World Series ring in 1934, were two of Dean's greatest achievements in his baseball career.

July 17, 1924: Jesse Haines, Cardinals 5, Braves 0
So here it is, the first no-hitter in Cardinals franchise history in front of 15,000 at Sportman's Park in 1924. This wasn't an ace bringing his normal heat to a dominant St. Louis ball club. No, this was a struggling pitcher, Haines (4-12), on a losing team that began a history of franchise no-hitters.

Haines gave the Cardinals faithful just that, fanning five through nine innings to ice the Braves. Rogers Hornsby backed Haines at the plate on a three-hit day.