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Rangers History Today: Nolan Ryan's Sixth No-Hitter
On this date in Texas Rangers history, Nolan Ryan threw the sixth no-hitter of his career in Oakland against the Athletics.
On June 11, 1990, Ryan took the hill at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum coming off a loss against the A's on June 6, one in which Ryan threw just five innings and gave up five runs. In fact, Ryan hadn’t won a game since shutting out the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, on April 26, which ran his season record to 4-0.
Pitching late, on the west coast, and against the defending World Champion A’s for the second time in five days, Ryan entertained the locals with his best game of the season.
He threw nine innings, striking out 14 and walking two while throwing 130 pitches. Nothing was driving him off the mound that night.
Ryan, of course, ended up with seven career no-hitters, retiring with three more than any player in Major League history at the time.
Plus, this was the second time the Rangers had no-hit a defending World Champion Athletics team. Jim Bibby did the same thing to the A’s on July 30, 1973.
And, Ryan became the first player to throw no-hitters for three different teams in three different decades, and he was the oldest player to throw a no-hitter at age 43. Of course, Ryan would better that mark just one year later.
Also on this date …
June 11, 1981: The Texas Rangers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-3, in what was the final game before a players strike shut down the season from June 12 to July 31. By losing that game, the Rangers cost themselves their first playoff berth. Once baseball rebooted after the settlement, the league declared the winners of each division the ‘first-half winners’ and started from scratch in the second half. The Rangers faltered during that second half. Had the Rangers won on this day in Milwaukee back in 1981, they would have played the New York Yankees in the 1981 postseason.
June 11, 1991: Nolan Ryan threw the final shutout of his Rangers and Major League career, blanking the Chicago White Sox at Arlington Stadium.
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