3 Up, 3 Down, 9 Pitches — All Strikes, Twice
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Baseball Library records that on April 18, 1964, in a game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati pitcher Jim Maloney tossed six innings of no-hit ball before going down with a pulled muscle. It is not recorded what muscle was pulled although the Library’s bio on Maloney notes that he retired in the early 1970s’;
A damaged Achilles tendon and a shoulder injury shortened his career.
Reliever John Tsitouris came on and held the Dodgers hitless for 2 2/3 innings until rightfielder Frank Howard finally broke up the no-hitter by beating out an infield single. The Reds won the game 3-0.
However, Maloney’s opposing pitcher, Dodgers’ Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax struck out the side in the third inning of the game on 9 pitches. It was the second time in Koufax’s career that he accomplished the feat, having previously done so on June 30, 1962 when he struck out the first 3 Mets he faced. Only 2 other pitchers have twice struck out the side on 9 pitches.
One was Lefty Grove who completed the feat twice late in the 1928 season; on August 23 in the second inning and September 27 in the seventh and Nolan Ryan who did so once in each league; with the Mets on April 19, 1968 in the third and with the Angels on July 18, 1972 in the second.
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