Ashby No-Hitter Foiled in Ninth

Andy Ashby came within three outs of the first no-hitter in San Diego history, before giving up Kenny Lofton’s ninth-inning leadoff single Friday night as the Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves, 6-2.

Ashby had a 0-2 count on Lofton before throwing three consecutive balls. Lofton then lined a single to right, the ball landing well in front of Tony Gwynn. Fred McGriff added a two-run homer, his 21st, to ruin the shutout before Ashby completed his second complete game of the season and ninth of his career.

The Padres have gone 4,551 games without a no-hitter. Ashby (8-10) settled for the victory, striking out eight and walking three. The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies are the only other major league teams without a no-hitter.

Kevin Brown of the Florida Marlins beat San Francisco, 9-0, on June 10. On July 12, Francisco Cordova combined for a 10-inning no-hitter with Ricardo Rincon against the Houston Astros, with Cordova pitching the first nine innings.

Ashby’s bid for a no-hitter was aided by two sparkling plays by Craig Shipley, who was making only his sixth start of the season at shortstop.

With two outs and nobody on in the fifth inning, Javy Lopez hit a hard one-hopper to Shipley’s left. Shipley made a diving stab, then rose to his knees and threw out Lopez. In the second, with one out and Ryan Klesko on second base following a walk and a stolen base, Shipley leaped to catch Lopez’s liner and doubled off Klesko.

Ashby came to the Padres as the player to be named in the final trade of San Diego’s infamous salary purge of 1993, coming over from Colorado with catcher Brad Ausmus and reliever Doug Bochtler for pitchers Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris.

The closest the Padres have come to a no-hitter was on July 21, 1970, when Clay Kirby had a no-hitter through eight innings but was pulled for pinch-hitter Cito Gaston. Kirby trailed, 1-0, at the time. Reliever Jack Baldschun gave up a hit in the ninth.

Padre pitchers have thrown 17 one-hitters, the most recent by Andy Benes against the Mets on July 3, 1994.

San Diego was no-hit by Atlanta’s Phil Niekro, 9-0, on Aug. 5, 1973. On Sept. 11, 1991, Kent Mercker, Mark Wohlers and Alejandro Pena combined to no-hit the Padres 1-0. Both were in Atlanta.

NEXT SERIES FOR DODGERS

WHO: Atlanta Braves

WHERE: Dodger Stadium

WHEN:

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.