Johan Santana tosses Mets franchise first no-hitter

NEW YORK -- Even before history was made at Citi Field on Friday, Terry Collins knew that Johan Santana was his hero.

The Mets manager approached the left-hander in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Cardinals and told him as much. By the end of an 8-0 win and the first no-hitter in Mets history, 27,069 at Citi Field likely felt the same.

"I don't think I even threw a no-hitter in video games," Santana said. "This was the first time I had an opportunity, and coming into this game, I had no clue. I had no sense that I might throw a no-hitter. You never know when they're going to happen.

"This is very, very special, and I know it means a lot to New York."

It took 51 seasons for the Mets and one year of rehab for Santana, but it happened. Rangers CEO and president Nolan Ryan, one of a handful of former Mets pitchers that have thrown no-hitters in other uniforms, weighed in on the magnitude of Santana's outing for the Mets.

"They've had a lot of history of one-hitters, and it's because of the great pitchers they've had there," Ryan said. "When you think of Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden there, and some of the other guys, it's amazing they never did."

"Short of Tom Seaver, I couldn't think of a better guy to have this recognition," Mets third baseman David Wright said.

Collins said before the game he would limit Santana to about 110 pitches, but he could not pull his starter when the time came to choose between a chance at history and a dangerously high pitch count. The skipper remained torn by his decision afterward, as his eyes watered up in his postgame news conference while he discussed Santana and his return from September 2010 shoulder surgery.

"I think that's what the whole thing's about," Collins said. "To do what he had to do, to have this surgery done and have people say, 'He's not coming back, his career's over. If he comes back, he'll be a subpar guy, just another guy who had surgery who is being paid a lot of money, so he'll continue to pitch.' What's got him to this level is what he showed you tonight. He trusts himself. He trusts his ability. He never gives up, never gives in. He said, 'I'm going to come back from this,' and it led to this."

It led to his second consecutive shutout, and while this one will be immortalized, Saturday's 96-pitch outing against the Padres may have been even more dominant.

Santana walked five Cardinals as his pitch count climbed, and with two outs in the ninth, he fell behind David Freese 3-0.

But Santana never hesitated, and neither did catcher Josh Thole.

Thole knew Santana already established the inside of the plate despite three balls, and they went back inside with a fastball for the first called strike. Santana went to his signature changeup for pitch No. 133 before getting Freese to swing and miss at pitch No. 134 for out No. 27.

"That whole last at-bat came right to me," Thole said. "There was no question about it. He throws a changeup and I want it down in the dirt. If he walks him, so be it, but hopefully we can get a swing through. He threw it perfect."

It was Santana's eighth strikeout of the game as he finished with a 1-2-3 ninth after receiving help to keep his no-hit bid alive in earlier innings.

"I thought his stuff in the ninth inning was better than it was in the seventh," Collins said. "His fastball had some zip. His slider had some bite to it. You could tell, that's strictly adrenaline."

Left fielder Mike Baxter let Citi Field breathe a collective sigh of relief in the top of the seventh, when he chased down a Yadier Molina fly ball and caught it for the game's 20th out as he crashed into the wall and fell. It forced him from the game with a left shoulder contusion, but it saved Santana's no-hit bid.

"What a night for the Mets," said Baxter, a native of Queens and childhood Mets fan.

Baxter's catch came an inning after third-base umpire Adrian Johnson's foul-ball call on a Carlos Beltran hit down the line kept it alive for the first time.

The former Met ripped a sixth-inning fastball down the third-base line, and replays showed it hit the chalk after it crossed the bag. But Johnson called it foul, and Beltran grounded out to Wright on the next pitch.

"Everything came out perfect for him," said Beltran after the game. "I'm not happy about it, but at the same time, he's a good man. I'm happy for him."

Santana then shouldered the rest of his quest for Mets history, even after spending increasingly long innings on the bench while his offense piled on runs.

The Mets put up three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings after spotting Santana a 2-0 lead in the fourth. That inning began with the game's first hit against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who was already aware of zeros on the board.

"I knew after three that neither one of us had given up a hit," Wainwright said. "After four, after five, you keep thinking, 'All right, this is going to be the one. We're going to get him now.' He just kept making pitches."

He did it on a shoulder that Collins wants to protect, and one that Santana is still unsure of. But for one night, it was enough to shoulder the burden of 51 seasons of Mets history and forever include his name as part of it.

"If we go back to Spring Training ... there were a lot of question marks," Santana said. "'Could he be the same pitcher he used to be?' I don't know. And I still don't know. But one thing I can tell you is that every time I go out there, I'll compete. ... That's what I do."

In final outing, Wood fans one, then retires

"It's one of those things where you know," Sveum said. "It's the most difficult thing you ever have to deal with. Everybody has to do it. It's a time in your life where you make that decision."

Wood and his son, Justin, enjoyed the day. The two chased balls during batting practice, and even climbed into the center-field scoreboard prior to the Cubs' Interleague game against the White Sox. Wood took out the lineup card, and when he went to the bullpen, he hugged and high-fived his teammates. Then he took his seat.

Wood had talked to Sveum about retiring in the last couple weeks, but he made it clear on Thursday this was it.

"Yesterday, I knew it was a lot different than the first day he talked to me about it," Sveum said. "We talked for a long time about a lot of things. I don't think talking him out of it yesterday was right for me to do. ... There comes a time. It's unfortunate, because you'll never get it back. You'll miss the adrenaline."

Wood had plenty pumping through him when he took the mound in the eighth, replacing Jeff Samardzija and the Cubs trailing.

"I said, 'You better throw it at 80 percent, because you'll be throwing it out of your [backside]," Cubs reliever James Russell said.

Wood fired a 96-mph fastball at Dayan Viciedo, who fouled it off. Viciedo fouled off the next pitch, a curveball, and then swung and missed at a 78-mph curve. It's been a long time and 16 stints on the disabled list since Wood struck out Mark Grudzielanek, the first batter he faced in his Major League debut on April 12, 1998, in the first inning, but he felt the same rush.

"I told [Russell] before I went out, 'I feel like I'm getting ready to go pitch my first inning,'" Wood said. "The adrenaline was the same, the nerves were the same."

Viciedo had no chance. As Wood left the field, he was surprised at the top of the dugout steps by Justin, who gave him a hug. Wood tipped his cap to the fans, then hugged his teammates in the dugout. He made one more curtain call.

Wood, 34, wanted to leave on his own terms. He finishes with an 86-75 career record and a 3.67 ERA in 446 games, including 178 starts. A two-time All-Star, he ranks third with the Cubs in strikeouts behind Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins and Carlos Zambrano, and he's the only one to reach the postseason with the team four times (1998, 2003, '07 and '08). He was the fastest pitcher to reach 1,000 strikeouts in both games (134) and innings pitched (853).

How long have the Cubs had to prepare for this?

"Probably 24 hours, I guess," Sveum said. "How do you prepare for it? You don't prepare for anything like this."

It's been rough for the Cubs' bullpen, which has the worst record in the National League. Wood already had spent time on the disabled list this season with right shoulder fatigue.

"[My arm] wasn't bouncing back this year," Wood said. "I felt I was putting guys in the 'pen in situations that they didn't need to be put in, putting Dale in situations where his hands were tied using me. I didn't want to go out with my last inning being me throwing my glove in the seats. I wanted to put up a zero and at least get one guy out."

On May 8 against the Braves, he entered in the eighth with the game tied at 1, and walked two batters and gave up two hits, including a game-winning two-run single by Dan Uggla. As he left the field, Wood threw his glove and cap into the stands in frustration.

The emotions were different on Friday.

"These fans have seen me and started reading about me when I was 17 and got drafted," Wood said. "Half of my life to this point has been in this uniform. I've been blessed, and the fans have supported me through all the injuries."

Wood was the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 1995 and was a starter until arm injuries forced him to switch to relief. He was the Cubs' closer in 2008, totaling 34 saves. He finishes with 1,582 strikeouts, including 20 on May 6, 1998, in his fifth big league start. In that game, Wood gave up one hit and went the distance in a 2-0 win over the Astros. The 20 strikeouts still stands as a National Leauge and rookie record.

"To come on the scene and set the expectations and the bar where he did and to play 15 years after that and to battle through some really tough times and things like that, it's pretty impressive what he's been able to do," teammate Ryan Dempster said. "It's going to be tough not seeing him pitching."

Wood has spent all but two years with the Cubs, pitching for the Indians in 2009 and then the Tribe and Yankees in '10. He returned to Chicago in '11 when he gave the Cubs a hometown discount, signing for $1.5 million. Last January, he signed a one-year, $3 million deal to stay in Chicago.

What will he do next?

"I've played baseball for 30 years and done it professionally for 19 seasons," Wood said. "It's the one thing I know how to do, and now it's over. We'll find something."

The aches and pains were just too much for him to overcome.

"He'll definitely be missed," Dempster said. "The city of Chicago and Cubs fans loved him and rightfully so. When they feel that way about somebody, it's for the right reasons. He was a great teammate, a great friend and a great human."

Not many players get to chose when to leave the game.

"I had fun, I had a blast," Wood said. "I wouldn't trade anything in."

Papelbon saves Phillies' win over Red Sox

PHILADELPHIA -- It seemed only fitting, the way Carlos Ruiz had been hitting of late, that the Phillies catcher would step to the plate in a big spot yet again on Friday.

Ruiz, who has been making a strong case to be the starting catcher in this summer's All-Star Game, came up with the bases loaded and just one out in the first inning. He took the first pitch he saw from Daniel Bard, a 79-mph slider, and lined it to center field to bring home two runs.

Ruiz's single sparked a four-run first inning that energized the announced 45,205 at Citizens Bank Park and helped the Phillies open Interleague Play with a 6-4 win against the Red Sox. It was the sixth consecutive win for the Phillies, who improved to 21-19.

Cole Hamels earned his team-leading sixth win after allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings. The win ties him with the Cardinals' Lance Lynn for most wins in the National League. The Phillies have now won each of the southpaw's last seven starts.

Bard, a converted reliever, was handed the loss after a wild outing in which he threw just 49 of his 94 pitches for strikes. He allowed five runs on three hits, issued five walks and hit two batters on his way to falling to 3-5 on the season.

Hamels set Boston (18-21) down in the seventh before handing a 5-3 lead over to Philadelphia's bullpen, which has been shaky in 2012. Chad Qualls, who has struggled of late, retired Dustin Pedroia before giving up a solo homer to Adrian Gonzalez to cut the deficit to one.

Left-hander Antonio Bastardo came in to face the pinch-hitting David Ortiz, who grounded out to first base. A solo shot from Freddy Galvis in the eighth gave the Phillies an insurance run that set the stage for Jonathan Papelbon, the first-year Phillies closer who spent 2005-11 in Boston.

Papelbon would allow a leadoff single, but he then retired the next three batters to notch his 12th save.

Verlander loses shot at third no-no in ninth

DETROIT -- Sure, the Perfect Game club is probably nice. But the three no-hitter club is more exclusive. Justin Verlander was knocking on the door Friday night.

With one flailing two-strike swing and one shattered bat, Pirates leadoff hitter Josh Harrison slammed the door shut and chained the lock.

"That's why throwing no-hitters is so difficult," Verlander said. "It doesn't take a hard one, it just takes the right placement."

And with that, Friday's 6-0 Tigers win joined the many near no-hitters Verlander has thrown over the last two years, ending with his first one-hitter. It's the first no-hit bid he has lost in the ninth inning.

It was close enough that just about everybody in the sellout crowd of 41,661 not wearing a Pittsburgh uniform at Comerica Park thought he was going to get it.

"I think it's a little bit more surprising to me that I didn't than [if] I did," Verlander did.

It was also an example why many expect Verlander to eventually join Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, Cy Young and Larry Corcoran with his third.

Many in the crowd might have had a feeling early. While Verlander was entering the time of the year when he always seems to be at his toughest, the Pirates came to town with the lowest offensive numbers in baseball.

The way Verlander dropped curveballs on the plate, sent changeups at Pittsburgh's aggressive young hitters and spotted fastballs on the corner, few hitters around the league would've stood a chance. At the end, he had Harrison swinging badly at what might be his fourth-best pitch.

"I've wanted to be a part of Tigers history since I was a little kid, and I almost was," said Pirates manager and Michigan native Clint Hurdle. "For my money, it was a thing of beauty to watch. That's a master craftsman with a power tool. He can take you places you don't want to go."

He always has that potential. This always seems to be the time of year he puts it together, almost as regular as the seagulls that flock to the ballpark every year around this time to feast on bugs.

Verlander's second no-hitter came last May, holding the Blue Jays to an eighth-inning walk in Toronto. His first no-hitter, in 2007, came during Interleague Play against a Brewers team that featured a young slugging first baseman named Prince Fielder.

"They've always happened to me," Fielder joked later. "I've never been a part of it."

His catcher had a pretty strong feeling around the fourth inning. Alex Avila caught that no-hitter in Toronto last May, when Verlander used sliders and changeups to baffle a formidable Jays lineup. Friday's pitching, Avila said, was better.

Most teams start leaving pitchers with a no-hit going alone around the middle innings. Avila said he didn't talk to Verlander after the third. They simply had nothing to discuss.

"His stuff today, everything was nasty," Avila said after Verlander's 12-strikeout, two-walk performance. "Everything was working great. Changeup, curveball, slider, fastball, we were getting outs with every single one. He felt comfortable throwing every single one of them."

In what has become classic Verlander form, he mixed those pitches early while saving his upper-90s fastball for the seventh inning, when the lineup came back around to the more seasoned Pirate batters.

Rarer than the baserunners -- Neil Walker drew a walk as the second batter of the game, as did Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning -- were the times the Pirates came close to a hit. They hit just three balls out of the infield through the first eight innings, two of them from Harrison.

The second of those nearly spared the drama and broke up the no-hitter in the sixth with a drive to deep left-center field that sent Don Kelly sprinting toward one of the deepest parts of the ballpark. Kelly was filling in for center fielder Austin Jackson, who missed the game with an abdominal strain.

"We were playing him the other way," Kelly said. "When he hit it, I didn't know at first how long it was going to hang up. Once saw it kind of go up more than a line drive, I knew I had a chance."

Had Verlander gotten the no-hitter, Kelly's running catch would've been the defensive gem that became the highlight. Nothing else was close to requiring extraordinary effort.

Once Verlander got through the middle of the order in the seventh, walking McCutchen after a full count but spotting a curveball for a called third strike on Garrett Jones, the watch was on. He geared up his fastball and struck out the Pirates in order in the eighth -- Casey McGehee watching a 98-mph fastball, Nate McLouth missing a 99-mph heater and Clint Barmes swinging at a slider in the dirt.

"Once the seventh comes, I'm not going to let them get a hit on something that's not my best stuff," Verlander said. "So I gave it all I've got the last three innings."

Once Mike McKenry grounded out to short leading off the ninth, that slider made Harrison look silly with two ugly swings for an 0-2 count. Harrison fouled off another, then took a curveball off the plate for ball one.

"I was too amped up. I was ready for the fastball, and I swung at the first two without really seeing them," Harrison said. "So I tried to slow everything down."

Harrison's deciding swing wasn't much prettier than his first two, and it shattered his bat. Still, he got enough to line it over Verlander's head and past shortstop Jhonny Peralta for a single.

"The first two he swung at were down in the dirt," Verlander said, "and this one was off the plate where he was able to just kind of stick his bat out there and hit it up the middle."

Said Avila: "His bat died a winner."

The Tigers were still winners. But they came close to so much more.

Jeter passes Yount with hit No. 3,143

BALTIMORE -- With a third-inning single to center field on Monday, Derek Jeter moved past Robin Yount for sole possession of 17th place on baseball's all-time hits list with 3,143.

In his second at-bat of the night, the Yankees captain notched the hit off Orioles starter Jason Hammel. Jeter was left aboard when Curtis Granderson grounded out.

The next player on the all-time list is Hall of Famer Paul Waner, who is the only player in Major League history with more hits than Jeter who also played for the Yankees. Jeter has stood alone as the Yankees' all-time hits leader since eclipsing Lou Gehrig's total of 2,722 in September 2009.

Lester turns in vintage performance vs. Mariners

BOSTON -- Jon Lester just missed his second career shutout at Fenway Park as the Red Sox rolled to a 6-1 victory Monday night in the first of a two-game series against the Mariners.

Lester's magnificent performance allowed him to win just his second game in the last 12 starts dating back to Sept. 11, 2011.

This season, his biggest obstacle had been run support, as the Red Sox had scored him just 3.43 runs a game entering this one -- the lowest of anyone in Boston's rotation.

But the Sox gave him enough to work with in this one.

Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach both went deep to spark the offense.

The Red Sox came out swinging out of the gate. Dustin Pedroia ignited the first-inning rally against Jason Vargas with a one-out walk. David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez followed with back-to-back opposite-field RBI doubles.

Lester, meanwhile, stifled the Mariners, making that early 2-0 lead seem larger.

And in the fourth, the Red Sox took some more big cuts. After a leadoff single by Cody Ross, Nava smacked a two-run homer that just cleared the Green Monster. It was Nava's second career homer, but first since he hit a grand slam in his first Major League at-bat on June 12, 2010.

Later in the inning, Shoppach unloaded for a solo shot that sailed into the parking lot beyond the Monster Seats. That gave Lester a 5-0 lead.

Harper hits no-doubter for first MLB homer

WASHINGTON -- Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, the person pegged as the LeBron James of baseball, hit his first Major League home run on Monday night against the Padres.

The Nationals were leading, 3-1, in the third inning when the 19-year-old Harper hit a 2-1 pitch from right-hander Tim Stauffer over the center-field wall to give Washington a three-run lead.

After touching home plate, Harper, playing his 15th game, was given a curtain call and acknowledged the fans by stepping out of the dugout.

Harper's first career homer

Harper entered Monday hitting .231 with three RBIs.