It was a night of mixed emotions for San Francisco Giants fans on Tuesday. While they celebrated their team’s third consecutive win after defeating the Cincinnati Reds 6-1, they also felt the disappointment of coming close to celebrating an Alex Cobb no-hitter that just slipped away. Still, Cobb seemed to take it in stride, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Alex Cobb had a cheerful response about missing the no-hitter. “It was still fun!” After delivering 131 pitches, he lightheartedly commented, “Yeah, I’m dead.” He appreciated that Kapler allowed him to continue without interruption and without preparing a backup.
Cobb’s positive outlook is commendable. He threw a total of 131 pitches, 83 of which were strikes, and only allowed one run and one hit while striking out eight, delivering a complete game.
Just how close was Cobb to marking a no-hitter against the Reds? The answer is tantalizingly close. He was just one out away when Reds’ Spencer Steer managed a double off him. Currently, there have been only four no-hitters in the 2023 MLB season. If Cobb had succeeded, he would’ve been the 18th Giants pitcher to achieve this feat, following Chris Heston in 2015 against the New York Mets.
While he missed the chance for a no-hitter, Cobb’s impressive performance played a vital role in keeping the team’s playoff aspirations alive. With this victory, the Giants now hold the third Wild Card spot in the National League. Teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Reds are closely trailing the Giants in this race, so every win counts for Cobb and his teammates.
The Giants have an opportunity to continue their winning streak and sweep the Reds in their next game on Wednesday, with Logan Webb representing San Francisco on the mound.