On April 9, in the 8,206th game in Padres history, Joe Musgrove threw the franchise's first no-hitter. He was nearly perfect against the Rangers, with a fourth-inning hit batter the only runner allowed.
Five days later Carlos Rodon -- a pitcher the White Sox non-tendered before re-signing this offseason -- was nearly perfect in the season's second no-hitter, hitting Cleveland's Roberto Perez on the back foot on an 0-2 pitch with one out in the ninth inning.
Last Wednesday John Means, who had never pitched more than seven innings in 43 career starts, was even closer to perfection for the Orioles in a dominant no-hitter against the Mariners. The only baserunner reached on a third-strike wild pitch, making Means the only pitcher in MLB history to lose a perfect game under that scenario. Means struck out 12 and didn't come close to allowing a hit -- the hardest-hit ball against him was an infield popup.
Two days later, the Reds' Wade Miley tossed 2021's fourth no-hitter -- and the second against Cleveland. He allowed just two runners, on a walk and an error. He credited his performance to a temporary tattoo of the Hulk that his 4-year-old son, Jeb, had convinced him to get. "I got no muscles at all," Miley joked after the game. "Maybe this gave me some strength."
