Umpire Odds & Ends: Combined No-Hitter

Major League Baseball and the UEFL witnessed the fourth no-hitter of the 2012 season Friday night, a six-pitcher effort by the Seattle Mariners and the 276th regulation no-hitter in Major League Baseball history (starting pitcher Kevin Millwood left after six innings with a groin injury). This is the first combined no-hitter of the season, the 10th combined no-hitter in MLB history, and the first since the Houston Astros' of the New York Yankees on June 11, 2003. It comes exactly one week Johan Santana's Adrian Johnson-aided no-hitter and was umpire Brian Runge (18)'s second Major League no-hitter of the season. Runge's previous no-hitter was also at Safeco Field, when Phil Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Mariners on April 21st. Runge becomes the 10th umpire in Major League history to call balls and strikes for multiple no-hitters in a single season. The Mariners threw a total of 114 pitches, 67 of which were callable (43 balls and 24 called strikes).

As in the three previous no-hitters this season, there was one noteworthy and close call that kept this no-hitter intact. The first was in Humber's perfect game, when Runge's ruled Brendan Ryan swung on the final pitch of the game (QOC: Correct). The second call was made by Umpire Angel Hernandez on a foul ball during Weaver's no-hitter (QOC: Correct). The most recent controversial call was Adrian Johnson's ruling of a foul ball on a batted ball by Carlos Beltran that hit the foul line during Santana's no-hitter (QOC: Incorrect).

Tonight's close and noteworthy call occurred in the top of the 9th with no outs, when Dee Gordon grounded out to shortstop Brendan Ryan. 1B Umpire Ted Barrett ruled Gordon out at first, drawing a brief argument from Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly. Though Quality of Correctness from individual replays appeared inconclusive, split screen footage of the call appears to show Gordon's foot on the bag prior to Justin Smoak's catch, rending this QOC Incorrect.

Video: Wihelmsen completes no-hitter as part of combined six pitchers
Wrap: Six Mariner Pitchers Combine for No-No

Here is a quick look at the statistics of how Brian Runge called the Mariners' combined no-hitter (Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League, and Tom Wilhelmsen):

Total Pitches: 114
Swinging Strikes: 16
Foul Balls: 14 (Including the Angel Hernandez called foul ball)
In Play, Out: 18
Callable Pitches: 67
Balls: 43
Called Strikes: 24

Correct Called Balls: 39
Incorrect Called Balls (Called balls within the strike zone): 4
Correct Ball %: 90.7%

Correct Called Strikes: 22
Incorrect Called Strikes (Called strikes outside the strike zone): 2
Correct Strike %: 91.7%

Correct % of Called Pitches: 91.0%

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

(Note: Green and Red squares represent pitches thrown by Seattle pitchers)

*Note: Brooks Baseball is promoting a Sabermetrics seminar hosted by those at the Jimmy Fund with all the money collected going to cancer research, the link to the seminar can be found here.