SAN FRANCISCO — Through the frustrations of his struggles and a demotion to the bullpen, Jonathan Sanchez remained steadfast he could be an effective major-league pitcher.
His standard phrase: “I just want to pitch.” He never wavered, never complained about his fortunes.
The quiet left-hander showed everybody with an improbable no-hitter Friday night for San Francisco against the San Diego Padres, the first by a Giants pitcher in nearly 33 years.
What made it even more special for Sanchez was his father, Sigfredo, just happened to have flown in from Puerto Rico to watch his son start for the first time. What a night he chose.
Sanchez was nearly perfect. Third baseman Juan Uribe, a former Rockies infielder, booted Chase Headley’s grounder with one out in the eighth inning for San Diego’s lone baserunner.
It wasn’t until the final batter — Everth Cabrera — stepped in that Sanchez allowed himself to think about what was suddenly within his grasp. Cabrera watched a called third strike sail by, a curveball he briefly argued as the celebration began. It was Sanchez’s career-best 11th strikeout.
“When the (ninth) inning started, I said, ‘Just keep making your pitches,’ ” he recalled. “I saw the crowd up and said, ‘Now I’ve got to get this.’ ”
It was the Giants’ 13th no-hitter but first since John Montefusco did it on Sept. 29, 1976, at Atlanta. Their last one in San Francisco came when Ed Halicki no-hit the New York Mets in the second game of a doubleheader on Aug. 24, 1975.
“I can’t believe I just threw a no-hitter out there,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been struggling the whole year.”
