Staff Report

 

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey, who tossed the team’s first no-hitter since 1988 on Friday, has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 30.

The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Bailey needed 115 pitches to record the 15th no-hitter in franchise history, the first since left-hander Tom Browning’s perfect game on Sept. 16, 1988, against Los Angeles and the first by a Reds’ right-hander since Tom Seaver no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals on June 16, 1978.

Bailey’s gem marked the first no-hitter tossed against the Pittsburgh Pirates since Cardinals legend Bob Gibson blanked them in 1971, snapping the second-longest streak in the majors behind the Cubs who have not been no-hit since Sandy Koufax’s 1965 perfect game.

Bailey’s no-no was the seventh in the major leagues this year, tying the modern-era record set in 1970 and matched in 1971. It was the third thrown by a National Leaguer this year, joining New York’s Johan Santana and San Francisco’s Matt Cain who threw a perfect game on June 13th against Houston.

The 26-year-old faced just two batters over the minimum in the outing, allowing Clint Barmes to reach on an error in the third inning and a walk to Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning.

Cincinnati’s single run in the top of the first inning was all the Reds needed as Bailey outdueled Bucs starter A.J. Burnett to earn his 13th win of the season, a 1-0 victory for the N.L. Central champions.

The decision improved Bailey’s lifetime record at PNC Park in Pittsburgh to 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA, and it marked his third career complete game, all of which have come against the Pirates.

The Texas native has already set career highs this year in wins, innings pitched (204.0) and strikeouts (162), and with a 3.75 ERA thus far, he is poised to have the lowest ERA of his six-year career.

This is Bailey’s second career weekly award, having won previously for the week ending Oct. 4, 2009, which, incidentally, was also the last full week of the season.