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It was the 17th no-hitter in Cubs history but
the first thrown by more than one pitcher.
The seventh no-hitter of 2021 tied a modern-era record (since
1901). Eight no-hitters were thrown in 1884. It was also the
first no-hitter thrown since umpires started checking pitchers
for the use of foreign substances to enhance their grip.
Davies (5-4) struck out four in his six-inning outing, but he
also walked five and was removed after throwing 94 pitches. Jake
Marisnick batted for Davies in the top of the seventh inning and
hit an RBI single to give Chicago a 4-0 lead.
Tepera worked around a two-out walk in the seventh. Chafin
issued a one-out walk in the eighth but got Max Muncy to ground
into an inning-ending double play.
In the ninth, Kimbrel walked the leadoff hitter, Chris Taylor,
on four pitches before Cody Bellinger and Albert Pujols both
struck out swinging. Pinch hitter Will Smith fanned on three
pitches to end the game.
Kimbrel said on the Marquee Sports Network broadcast of
participating in a no-hitter, "It feels great. I'm not gonna
lie. I had no idea until the last out and everybody came running
out. I was just locked into the game and going out there to do
my job.
"Everybody did such a great job today. Zach took the ball and
went out there and did what we needed him to do. We needed this
game today, and there is no better way of doing it than this."
Davies added, "This is an awesome moment. I think the World
Series, something like that, probably tops it. but even though
it wasn't a solo, being part of history is pretty special."
Though he wanted to remain in the game, he said regarding
manager David Ross' decision to lift him, "It worked, I can't
complain at all."
Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, who went 0-for-2 with two
walks, said of his team's offense, "I don't think (the at-bats)
were very good as a whole today. We mixed in a couple, but as a
whole I don't think we had very good at-bats. But there is
always two sides, and you definitely have to give the Cubs
credit for pitching a great game."
Davies was coming off an outing June 18 against the Miami
Marlins in which he gave up eight runs on seven hits over six
innings in an eventual 10-2 defeat. In five career starts at
Dodger Stadium (34 innings), Davies now has a 1.06 ERA.
The last no-hitter thrown at Dodger Stadium was on Aug. 30,
2015, when the Cubs' Jake Arrieta shut down Los Angeles in a 2-0
victory. That was also the last time the Dodgers were no-hit
before Thursday. Arrieta is scheduled to start for the Cubs
against the Dodgers on Friday.
The Cubs' most recent no-hitter had been tossed by Alec Mills on
the road against the Milwaukee Brewers last Sept. 13. Mills will
start Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
The other no-hitters this season were thrown by the Padres' Joe
Musgrove (April 9 at the Texas Rangers), the Chicago White Sox's
Carlos Rodon (April 14 vs. the Cleveland Indians), the Baltimore
Orioles' John Means (May 5 at the Seattle Mariners), the
Cincinnati Reds' Wade Miley (May 7 at the Indians), the Detroit
Tigers' Spencer Turnbull (May 18 at Seattle) and the New York
Yankees' Corey Kluber (May 19 at Texas).
The last time as many as seven no-hitters were thrown in a
season was 2015.
Javier Baez's home run in the first inning, his 17th of the
season, gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Willson Contreras hit a
two-run shot in the sixth, his 13th long ball of the season,
increasing the gap to 3-0.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler (7-1) allowed three runs on five
hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings. He
took a loss for the first time since Sept. 21, 2019, against the
Colorado Rockies, ending a 23-start run.
The game was the opener of a four-game series. The Dodgers
arrived home Thursday after getting swept in a three-game set at
San Diego, having scored seven total runs against the Padres.
--Field Level Media
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