Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 12, 1990 TAG: 9006120241
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: OAKLAND, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
The 43-year-old right-hander pitched his sixth no-hitter Monday night, extending his major-league record, as the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 5-0.
Already baseball's all-time strikeout leader, he now is the oldest man to throw a no-hitter and the only one to throw one with three different teams.
Words like amazing are falling by the wayside.
Ryan was making only his second start after returning from the disabled list with lower back pain.
His last no-hitter, which broke the record he shared with Sandy Koufax, was for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981. He also pitched four no-hitters for the California Angels.
Ryan (5-3) struck out 14 Monday night, extending his major-league record of 10 or more in a game to 201. He walked two in his 59th career shutout.
Ryan, 0-3 with an 8.86 ERA in his previous five starts, was making his second straight start against the Athletics since spending 15 days on the disabled list. He gave up five runs in five innings last Wednesday in a 5-4 loss at Texas.
Ryan struck out pinch-hitter Ken Phelps to lead off the ninth. Rickey Henderson then grounded out to short and Willie Randolph fouled out to right to end the game.
Ryan thrust his right arm into the air when the final out was made, then was mobbed by his teammates, who carried him off the field. A few fans jumped over the fence to join in. The rest of the crowd continued to chant, "Nolan! Nolan!" as they had over the last innings.
Ryan's no-hitter was the third this year, all in the American League. Mark Langston and Mike Witt combined to no-hit Seattle on April 11, and Randy Johnson of Seattle beat Detroit on June 2.
Ryan - who no-hit Kansas City and Detroit in 1973, Minnesota in 1974 and Baltimore in 1975 - was making his first start at the Oakland Coliseum since April 11, 1977. Mike Norris, who pitched three innings in relief for Oakland on Monday night, opposed him that night and had no decision as the Athletics beat the Angels 3-2.
Ryan pitched his 12th career one-hitter earlier this season in a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on April 26. He struck out a season-high 16 in that game.
The no-hitter extended his combination of no-hit and one-hit games to 18, another major-league record. The 14 strikeouts extended his all-time major-league mark to 5,152.
The victory gave Ryan a career record of 294-266. He is 20th on the all-time victory list six behind Early Wynn and Lefty Grove.
Cy Young threw a no-hitter in 1908 at age 41.
The Athletics never came close to getting a hit. The two hardest-hit balls were a fly ball to the warning track in left by Randolph leading off the fourth inning, and Henderson's liner to center with one on and one out in the sixth.
Jose Canseco, hospitalized with lower back pain, and Mark McGwire, who was given the day off, did not play. Another regular, Carney Lansford, missed his third straight start while nursing a strained right elbow. He struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth inning.
by CNB