Jackson Throws 149 Pitches In No-Hitter

Arizona's Edwin Jackson pitched a no-hitter against the Rays on Friday night, walking eight and throwing 149 pitches. The Diamondbacks won 1-0.

It is the most pitches thrown in a no-hitter, according to the available data. It was also the highest pitch count since Livan Hernandez threw 150 on June 3, 2005.

Tampa Bay has now been no-hit three times in the last calendar year:

July 23, 2009 - Mark Buehrle (perfect game)
May 9, 2010   - Dallas Braden (perfect game)
June 25, 2010 - Edwin Jackson

Jackson (9-0-0-8-6) walked seven batters in the first three innings (and threw 67 pitches), including filling the bases with no outs to start the third. He also hit a batter and had a runner reach on an error.

It is only the 3rd game since the start of the 2001 season in which a pitcher has thrown 149+ pitches.

Since 1952, there have been 199 such games. The innings pitched has ranged from 15 by Al Jackson (August 14, 1962, 172 pitches) to 6.1 by Nolan Ryan (September 7, 1989, 150 pitches). Jackson faced 57 batters, meaning there were three hitters he faced seven times that day!

There have been three games of 200+ pitches since 1952:

Stan Williams May 17, 1961       11-4-1-12-11, 207
Sandy Koufax  September 20, 1961 13-7-2- 3-15, 205 
Herm Wehmeier May 2, 1957        12-9-2- 4-12, 203

Koufax had two starts of 175+ pitches within three weeks in May 1960: 175 on May 6 and 193 on May 28.

Tim Wakefield threw 172 pitches for Pittsburgh on April 27, 1993: 10-6-2-10-1. He also threw 169 for the Red Sox on June 5, 1997: 8.2-7-1-7-10.