With Matt Garza's no-hitter Monday night against the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay becomes the 14th and final American League team to throw a no-no in franchise history. The Rays now need only 18 more to catch up to the A.L.-leading Red Sox. With the way things are going this season, the Rays probably reach this mark by year's end.
The Red Sox own the league's mark for most ho-hitters with 19. Here's a list of American League teams and the number of no-hitters thrown in franchise history:
Boston Red Sox 19
Chicago White Sox 17
Cleveland Indians 15
New York Yankees 13
Oakland Athletics 11
Baltimore Orioles 10
Anaheim Angels 8
Nolan Ryan 7
Detroit Tigers 6
Minnesota Twins 6
Texas Rangers 5
Kansas City Royals 4
Seattle Mariners 2
Toronto Blue Jays 1
Tampa Bay Rays 1
Who knew all you had to do was drop the "Devil" from your team name to throw a no-hitter. Incredibly, Tampa needs just six more no-nos to match Nolan Ryan's career record seven no-hitters.
Still, not bad for a franchise that was founded in 1998, and nothing short of amazing when compared to two N.L. teams (cough, Mets, cough) who are destined to sit outside the gates of no-hitter heaven for all eternity.