Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey (34) celebrates with Cincinnati Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan (29) after getting the final out of a no-hitter in a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. The Reds won 1-0.PITTSBURGH – Homer Bailey had a certain milestone on his mind when he walked to the mound Friday night. He wound up pulling off an even bigger feat.
Bailey pitched the seventh no-hitter in the majors this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The right-hander began the night with 195 innings pitched this season and was eager to reach 200 for the first time in his six-year career.
“I looked up at the scoreboard (after the fifth inning) to see if I had hit 200 and saw a couple of zeros,” Bailey said. “That’s when I knew I had a chance at a no-hitter. It’s not something you think about doing.”
It was the 15th no-hitter in Reds history and first since Tom Browning’s perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 16, 1988.