Scherzer retired the first 26 Pittsburgh Pirates he faced on June 20, 2015, before grazing pinch-hitter Jose Tabata with a pitch in the ninth inning, losing the perfect game. He then got Josh Harrison to fly out to left to complete the no-hitter. Scherzer struck out 10 batters and walked no one.
Only one other pitcher lost a perfect game by hitting the 27th batter yet recovered to save the no-no, and it was in 1908.
The New York Giants’ George “Hooks” Wiltse retired the first 26 Philadelphia Quakers he faced during the first game of a July 4 doubleheader that year before hitting opposing pitcher George McQuillan on the arm. The game at the time was a 0-0 tie. The Giants scored in the top of the 10th and Wiltse got his three outs in the bottom half to complete the no-no for a 1-0 win.
Scherzer threw a second no-hitter less than four months later, no-hitting the New York Mets at Citi Field for a 2-0 victory. He came close to throwing a third on Tuesday night, zapping the Miami Marlins into the eighth before losing his no-no bid on an A.J. Ellis come-backer.
