Dodger History – Kevin Gross no hits Giants 2 -0 on Aug 17th, 1992

Twenty two years ago in a season that was over before the All-Star break,  Kevin Gross pitched the first Dodger no – hitter at Dodger Stadium since Fernando did the trick on June 29th, 1990, beating the Giants 2 – 0. Before Fernando you would have to go all the way back to a game I attended in the left field pavilion on July 20th, 1970.  Bill Singer threw a contested no-hitter when he was given an error on a weak ground ball by Don Money that probably would have been ruled a hit if a no-hitter was not in play.

Future 1992 ROY Eric Karros hit his seventeenth home run to provide the winning margin. No -hitters seem common these days, but when Kevin Gross threw his no – hitter, it was the first one of 1992, coming a full eleven months after the last one.  Gross won for the first time in over a month moving his record to 6 – 12. Gross signed a four-year deal with the Dodgers before the 1991 season, going 40 – 44 over those four years with an ERA+ of  102.

Sometimes no – hitters get too much credit. Game score feels that his shutout of the Expos on May 12th was an even better game, and I’d agree. In that game Gross struck out 13 hitters without allowing a walk. He may have given up three hits but he clearly was more dominant on May 12th.  That was in fact the most strikeouts Gross would have in a game during his fourteen year career.

Date         Opp   Rslt AppDec  IP H ER BB SO GSc
1992-05-12   MON  W 2-0 SHO9 W 9.0 3  0  0 13  94
1992-08-17   SFG  W 2-0 SHO9 W 9.0 0  0  2  6  91
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/17/2014.

Gross was known as a work horse when the Dodgers signed him to his four year deal the winter of 1991. Since becoming a full time starter in 1985, Gross had averaged 207 IP per year with a high of 241 and low of 163. He pretty much fulfilled that for the Dodgers He was hurt in 1981 but did come back to hurl over 200 IP in both 1992 and 1993.

You never got excited going to a Kevin Gross start but on this day he joined the esteemed ranks of Dodger no hitters.

Player                      Date Opp  Rslt  IP H BB SO GSc
Clayton Kershaw       2014-06-18 COL W 8-0 9.0 0  0 15 102
Josh Beckett          2014-05-25 PHI W 6-0 9.0 0  3  6  90
Hideo Nomo            1996-09-17 COL W 9-0 9.0 0  4  8  91
Ramon Martinez        1995-07-14 FLA W 7-0 9.0 0  1  8  94
Kevin Gross           1992-08-17 SFG W 2-0 9.0 0  2  6  91
Fernando Valenzuela   1990-06-29 STL W 6-0 9.0 0  3  7  91
Jerry Reuss           1980-06-27 SFG W 8-0 9.0 0  0  2  89
Bill Singer           1970-07-20 PHI W 5-0 9.0 0  0 10  97
Sandy Koufax          1965-09-09 CHC W 1-0 9.0 0  0 14 101
Sandy Koufax          1964-06-04 PHI W 3-0 9.0 0  1 12  98
Sandy Koufax          1963-05-11 SFG W 8-0 9.0 0  2  4  89
Sandy Koufax          1962-06-30 NYM W 5-0 9.0 0  5 13  95

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/17/2014.