Thursday, September 17

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Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.

Even Vin Scully thought it couldn’t be done. 

A no-hitter at Coors Field? Mile-high Coors Field? The most hitter-friendly ballpark in Major League history? 

It was said, in Scully’s words, to be “impossible.”

But on this day 30 years ago, Hideo Nomo did the impossible.

On Sept. 17, 1996, the Japanese right-hander with the iconic “Tornado” windup threw the first, and the only, no-hitter in Coors Field history. 

Today, Manny Randhawa takes a look back at the game on its 30-year anniversary.

Nomo’s no-no for the Dodgers against the Rockies might well be the most improbable one ever thrown. There have been more than 2,500 games played at Coors Field since it opened in 1995. Nomo still stands alone.

Nomo was facing one of the most dangerous lineups at home in baseball history — and in the days before Coors Field had a humidor. The ’96 Rockies were a powerhouse led by the “Blake Street Bombers” — Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks and Larry Walker (who was out hurt for Nomo’s no-hitter).

And he couldn’t even use his signature windup. It was a cold, wet day at Coors Field — there was even a two-hour rain delay to start the game — and in the uncomfortable conditions, Nomo scrapped his corkscrew windup during the game and started pitching only from the stretch.  

But even without the delivery that caused such deception, Nomo’s fastball and forkball dominated the Rockies. He struck out eight in the game — including Burks to end it, on maybe the best forkball of his life. 

With Scully on the call in the U.S. — and Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese pitcher in MLB history, announcing the game for Japanese station NHK — Nomo made history. 

“Hideo Nomo has done what they said could not be done — not in the Mile High City, not in Coors Field in Denver!” Scully exclaimed. “He has not only shut out the Rockies, but he has pitched a no-hitter. And thank goodness they saw it in Japan.”

Read more about the Nomo no-no here >> 

 

GAMES OF THE NIGHT

The Dodgers clinched the NL West today with their win over the Reds — L.A.’s fifth straight division title and 13th in the last 14 years.

And there are more games with playoff implications tonight. Here are three to watch.

Phillies at Mets (7:15 p.m. ET, FOX)

A win today would draw the Phillies even with the Cubs for the top NL Wild Card spot. Veteran Aaron Nola takes the mound against Mets ace Nolan McLean as the two NL East rivals begin a four-game series in New York. 

Tigers at White Sox (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) 

Can the White Sox bounce back after relinquishing first place to the Guardians? With 10 games remaining, Chicago is now in the third and final AL Wild Card spot, just a game ahead of the Rangers, 1 1/2 ahead of the Blue Jays and 2 1/2 ahead of the Orioles. A win in tonight’s series opener would at least pull the Sox back even with Cleveland for the AL Central lead. (And the Sox own the tiebreaker.)

Red Sox at Rangers (8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) 

The Rangers are now tied with the Astros for the AL West lead thanks to a four-game winning streak (although Houston holds the tiebreaker over them). Tonight they have a chance to sweep their fellow AL playoff contender and make it five in a row. But they have to go through Red Sox ace Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.76 ERA, 140 strikeouts). 

SAVE: ALCANTARA (1)

If you do a double-take at this Marlins box score … yeah, so did we. 

That’s Sandy Alcantara — Cy Young Award-winning starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, 2026 MLB innings pitched leaderSandy Alcantara — picking up the first save of his Major League career. 

On Monday, Alcantara threw 110 pitches as a starter in Miami’s series opener against the D-backs. Two days later, he was the closer for the Marlins’ 4-3 win.  

Alcantara had thrown 205 innings this season before his big save — all of them as a starter. Heck, he hadn’t pitched in relief since he was a rookie with the Cardinals back in 2017.

We’re talking about one of MLB’s top workhorses here. Normally, when Alcantara finishes off a game, it’s because he’s throwing a complete game. He’s got 13 of those in his career.

This was just the fourth time that the guy leading MLB in innings pitched got a save since 1969, when saves became an official stat. These are the other three before Alcantara: 

• Orel Hershiser for the Dodgers on May 2, 1987
• Phil Niekro for the Braves on July 29, 1978
• Andy Messersmith for the Dodgers on May 30, 1975

Michael Reynolds has more on Alcantara’s unusual feat >> 

PUT IT IN THE BOOKS

Mets radio legend Howie Rose will call the final games of a four-decade career this weekend. 

Known for his signature sign-off, “Put it in the books!”, that punctuates every Mets win, Rose has been the voice of the Mets since the mid-’90s. But he’s also an original Mets fan, who’s followed the team since it was founded in 1962, and no one has Howie’s sense of Mets history.

The Mets’ series finale against the Phillies on Sunday will be Rose’s last radio call, and the team will celebrate him with a special retirement ceremony.

MLB.com Mets reporter Anthony DiComo writes here about Rose’s legacy and upcoming grand finale. 

DOC DISHES ON OCTOBER MEMORIES

Dave Roberts has won one World Series as a player and three more as a manager. So he knows playoff baseball. 

The Dodgers skipper discusses his favorite October memories on the latest episode of the 6-1-1 Podcast with Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. 

Roberts regales Rollins and Howard with the stories behind key moments from his Fall Classic wins with the Dodgers, including the text exchange preceding Miguel Rojas’ Game 7 heroics last year, how a challenge led to Andy Pages’ game-saving catch, the time Freddie Freeman vetoed a pitching change and Walker Buehler’s reaction after sealing the 2024 World Series. 

Listen to the episode here >> 

 

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