Get a recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres baseball game.
MONTERREY, Mexico — The Dodgers have the most no-hitters in the majors — and now the most in Mexico, too.
Walker Buehler and a trio of Los Angeles relievers combined for the franchise’s 23rd no-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a neutral-site series Friday night.
It was the first combined no-hitter in Dodgers history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Mexico had waited since 1999 to host a regular-season major league game, and it got a historic one: the first no-hitter ever outside the U. S. or Canada and the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history.
« It was awesome, » Buehler said. « It’s one of those things, to pitch in a place like this, an atmosphere like this, it was awesome. »
Buehler, a 23-year-old taken on the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, pitched six innings in his third major league start. The touted right-hander struck out eight and walked three over 93 pitches before handing off to left-hander Tony Cingrani, who walked two in the seventh but kept the bid intact.
Yimi Garcia struck out two in a perfect eighth and Adam Liberatore threw a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Franchy Cordero to end it with the Dodgers’ 146th pitch.
That ended a festive night that began with a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela, who became a star in the U. S. and Mexico and set of « Fernandomania » when he became a fan favorite in the 1980s.
Buehler’s highest pitch count in the majors is 94 pitches, reached in his previous outing against San Francisco.
« It’s one of those where you’re pretty angry to come out, but the bullpen, the guys that we have, I trust it in their hands, too, » he said. « And it worked out. »
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t afraid to pull a young pitcher during a no-hitter. He removed then-rookie Ross Stripling from a bid against San Francisco with one out in the eighth inning in 2016. Reliever Chris Hatcher allowed a home run to the next batter.
This one worked out better for Roberts, giving baseball its second no-hitter of the season. Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea threw the first against Boston on April 21.
Los Angeles accomplished the feat before a crowd of 21,536 at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey, chosen as part of Major League Baseball’s push to internationalize the sport.
Joey Lucchesi (3-2) allowed three runs and five hits as the last-place Padres dropped to 11-22.
Matt Kemp had an RBI single on a popup to the shortstop in the first inning, and Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez hit consecutive homers in the second. Alex Verdugo singled in a run in the sixth against Adam Cimber.
UP NEXT
The Monterrey series continues with Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (2-2,3.76 ERA) opposing RHP Bryan Mitchell (0-3,6.07) on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
