Game Notes – 09/18/2025

A one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win.  There’s a harmony in this event, the numerical synchronicity, the metered sound adding an extra layer of allure to an already compelling narrative:  the tightest of contests where runs are the rarest mineral to be mined, the fellow on the mound taking on an expanding influence in the outcome.  Dating back to the start of the 1901 season, there have been 144 pitchers to limit the opposition to exactly one hit in nine (or more) scoreless innings and get the completed-game hero’s applause in a 1-0 win for his club.  A couple of pitchers from the Deadball Era lock in a tie for the most such games, lefty Doc White and right-hander Jack Coombs each conjuring this magic three times.  Much more recently, in this century, there’s been an average of less than one of these outings per year, adding yet another reason to extend the celebration when a performance comes to town.  

Hunter Greene spun a one-hit shutout to lead the Reds to a 1-0 win over the Cubs.  

~For Cincinnati, the effort marked the 59th time in the Modern Era the club had a pitcher throw a one-hit or no-hit shutout in a nine-inning/extra-inning game, and the first since Wade Miley tossed a no-hitter on May 7, 2021.  Hunter’s effort was the 13th of these 59 to come in a 1-0 affair, the first time that’s happened since Homer Bailey no-hit the Pirates in late 2012.  Aside from these two efforts this century, only one other Reds pitcher has done this in the Divisional Era:  Tom Browning in his perfect game on September 16, 1988, when the Reds beat the Dodgers, 1-0.

~Revealing one more layer to the precedents for Greene’s command performance … “facing the Cubs, a Reds hurler goes the distance and allows no more than one hit in a nine (or more) inning, 1-0 win” …↓

Fred Toney throws a 10-inning no-hitter on May 2, 1917

Jim Maloney throws a nine-inning one-hitter on July 23, 1963

Jim Maloney throws a 10-inning no-hitter on August 19, 1965

Hunter Greene throws a nine-inning one-hitter on September 18, 2025

Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendered a lone hit in five-and-a-third laborious innings (he issued six walks) and now leads the Majors with 5.85 hits allowed per nine innings.  The rate currently sparkles as the third lowest on record for a qualifying Dodgers pitcher; apparently, there’s something about a season ending in a ‘5’ that draws out the stingy predilections …

Lowest Hits/9 – Dodgers Franchise

5.79    Sandy Koufax in 1965

5.83    Hideo Nomo in 1995

5.85    Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025

5.98    Zack Greinke in 2015

6.14    Don Sutton in 1972 (oh well)

José Ramírez’s two-run home run broke a 1-1 tie and ultimately was the difference in Cleveland’s 3-1 win over Detroit (the Guardians moved to within three-and-a-half games of the AL Central-leading Tigers; the two clubs still have a three-game set against one another).  

~Ramírez’s big swing marked the 721st time he’s produced an extra-base hit for the franchise, closing him to within three of tying the lifetime leader, Earl Averill.  The participation and outcome also gave the third baseman his 864th start in a team victory, the very most for the franchise.  Below, Cleveland’s top five are identified and then followed by the franchise leaders for the other seven AL clubs who were playing games when the World Series Era commenced.  

Most Wins in Starts – Cleveland Franchise History

864    José Ramírez

815    Nap Lajoie

809    Lou Boudreau

804    Tris Speaker

802    Omar Vizquel

Most Wins in Starts For The …

Athletics – Bert Campaneris (920)

Browns/Orioles – Brooks Robinson (1,577)

Red Sox – Carl Yastrzemski (1,684)

Tigers – Ty Cobb (1,474)

Senators/Twins – Harmon Killebrew (1,118)

White Sox – Nellie Fox (1,143)

Yankees – Derek Jeter (1,623)

In a 7-0 win, Max Fried (7.0 IP, 3 H) improved to 18-5 on the season behind a career-best tying 13 strikeouts.  

~The Yankees’ southpaw is the 12th with those two biographical details to post a line featuring no runs and 13+ strikeouts, joining Al Downing (three such efforts), Ron Guidry (2), David Wells (2), Whitey Ford (1), Rudy May (1), John Candelaria (1) and CC Sabathia (1).

~Fried’s 18-win season gives the Yankees franchise a list of 108 hurlers who’ve won at least that many.  Organized by highest to lowest winning percentage, Fried’s .783 comes in as the 12th best, tucked between Ron Guidry’s .786 in 1985 when he was 22-6 and the .774 from Jack Chesbro in 1904 (when he was 41-12), Lefty Gomez in 1932 (24-7) and Whitey Ford in 1963 (24-7).  Guidry’s .893 (25-3) in 1978 is the best.  

Pete Alonso homered in his fourth straight game and drove in two runs to prop his season tallies to 37 round-trippers and 121 RBI.

~Alonso is the 17th Met to homer in four (or more) consecutive games, a feat he’s now accomplished three times.  With this latest run, Alonso is one more game with a dinger away from tying Richard Hidalgo’s team mark, set in 2004.  

~With the 121 RBI, Alonso owns the fourth-highest total in a season for the Mets; he now possesses three of the six highest run-production seasons for the franchise. 

Single-Season, Most RBI for a Met

131    Pete Alonso (2022)

124    Mike Piazza (1999)

124    David Wright (2008)

121    Pete Alonso (2025)

120    Robin Ventura (1999)

120    Pete Alonso (2019)

~Alonso’s big-time production in 2025 has been signified by his 1.043 OPS with runners in scoring position.  It’s not the best a Met has ever done, but it’s not that far down the pole, either, resting as the sixth-best mark for any member of the team since 1969 (minimum 175 plate appearances in the split).  Bernard Gilkey’s 1.172 in 1996 remains the standard.  Alonso’s mark comes in as the third best in the Majors this season, minimum 150 plate appearances.  Cal Raleigh is at 1.058 and Bo Bichette owns a 1.053.

Juan Soto drove in a run to join former teammates Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge in 2025’s 40-homer, 100-walk, 100-run, 100-RBI club.  Soto has hit these marks in two straight seasons, allowing him to join Judge and some other big-time names in a club reserved for those who did this in successive seasons.  

Consecutive 40-HR, 100-R, 100-RBI, 100-BB Seasons

4   Ralph Kiner (1948-1951)

3   Babe Ruth (1926-1928)

3   Babe Ruth (1930-1932)

3   Barry Bonds (2000-2002)

3   Jim Thome (2001-2003)

2   Babe Ruth (1920-1921)

2   Babe Ruth (1923-1924)

2   Lou Gehrig (1930-1931)

2   Hank Greenberg (1937-1938)

2   Frank Thomas (1995-1996)

2   Barry Bonds (1996-1997) 

2   Mark McGwire (1998-1999)

2   Jeff Bagwell (1999-2000)

2   Troy Glaus (2000-2001)

2   Sammy Sosa (2001-2002)

2   Adam Dunn (2004-2005)

2   David Ortiz (2005-2006)

2   Albert Pujols (2009-2010)

2   José Bautista (2010-2011)

2   Aaron Judge (2024-2025)

2   Juan Soto (2024-2025)

Chandler Simpson bumped his average to .301 with a three-hit day (his second straight game with three knocks).  The Rays’ outfielder is attempting to become the fifth player since 1899 to produce a debut season with at least 40 steals (he has 42) and a .300 average and is in contention to be the youngest player in the Majors to do this (regardless of experience) since Jose Altuve in 2014.  On the former note …

1899-2024:  Players to Hit .300 With 40+ SB in a Debut Season

1899    Roy Thomas, .325 and 42

1977    Mitchell Page, .307 and 42

1990    Alex Cole, .300 and 40

2001    Ichiro Suzuki, .350 and 56 (led AL in both categories)

For the third straight season, Brent Rooker reached the 30-homer plateau, making him one of eight different Athletics to bang out the feat.  

3+ Consecutive Years With 30+ HRs – Athletics Franchise

7   Jimmie Foxx (1929-1935)

4   Mark McGwire (1987-1990)

3   Dave Kingman (1984-1986)

3   José Canseco (1986-1988)

3   Mark McGwire (1995-1997)

3   Jason Giambi (1999-2001)

3   Miguel Tejada (2000-2002)

3   Khris Davis (2016-2018)

3   Brent Rooker (2023-2025)

Mickey Moniak doubled and for the fourth straight game, went yard.  The 27-year-old is the 26th Rockie to go deep in at least four straight, with four extending longer:  Nolan Arenado (six in a row in 2015 for the team record); Dante Bichette (5 in a row in 1995); Larry Walker (5 in 1999); David Dahl (5 in 2018).

Sandy Alcantara surrendered three runs in six-and-two-thirds innings and won his 10th game of the year – a fairly wondrous statement considering his world when the season paused for the All-Star break in July.  In this season’s first half, the Marlins’ righty was historically permissive, posting the 16th worst ERA (7.22) for any pitcher with at least 15 starts before an All-Star break.  With his 3.40 in this year’s second half, his turnaround is equally notable when compared to the other 22 hurlers who owned a 7.00 or worse in the first half.

1933-2025:  Pitchers With a 7.00+ ERA (min. 15 GS) in 1st Half, Lowest 2nd Half ERA (min. 12 GS)

3.40   Sandy Alcantara (2025), after a 7.22

3.50   Tom Browning (1987), after a 7.20

3.69   Ray Sadecki (1965), after a 7.20

4.01   Chuck Stobbs (1957), after a 7.04

4.48   Edwin Jackson (2007), after a 7.23

4.64   Dave Mlicki (2001), after a 7.50

Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.