Elephant Rumblings: A’s surrender longest active no no-hit streak

Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!

You’re probably sick of reading about it: the A’s were just on the losing end of the first perfect game thrown in MLB since 2012. There’s a common narrative circulating that it’s all too fitting and par for the course for the beleaguered franchise to suffer this insult. But I submit to you that there is no shame in it. A loss is a loss, and personally, I’d have loved to be at the Coliseum to witness the perfecto that Domingo Germán unleashed on Wednesday night. It happens rarely, and when it does, it can happen to any team.

Rather than dwell on it from an “insult on top of injury” point of view, let’s remember that going into Wednesday, the A’s had the longest active streak of not being no-hit in MLB. That streak is now over at just shy of 32 years, but it’s still an accomplishment to applaud.

The last no-hitter the A’s suffered prior to Wednesday was all the way back in 1991, when Bob Milacki and three other Orioles pitchers combined to completely silence the A’s bats. That day, Willie Wilson, Dave Henderson, Jose Canseco, Harold Baines, Mark McGwire, Terry Steinbach, and Rickey Henderson all failed to get a hit.

According to nonohitters.com, the Washington Nationals have now inherited the longest active no-no-no streak. The last no hitter that befell them came at the hands of David Cone at Yankee Stadium in 1999. The Nats were still the Montreal Expos back then, and as it happens, that was also a perfect game and not your garden variety no-hitter.

Am I saying you should be happy about it? No, but if you watched the game because you’re an A’s fan, maybe you can appreciate that as a silver lining. You might never see another perfect game, and that one loss is far from the biggest problem facing the A’s franchise today.

Have a wonderful weekend, AN.

A’s Coverage:

• Hardin: A’s undone by 8-run sixth in loss to Yankees
• Mueller and Stutz: Nevada teachers union vows to fight public funding for A’s Vegas stadium
• Shea: Yankees’ perfect game makes perfect sense in A’s profoundly dreadful season ($)
• Kroner: Domingo German enjoying his moment after spinning perfect game vs. A’s ($)
• Callis: See who A’s nab in latest mock draft

MLB News & Interest:

• Kuty: Why Yankees great David Cone says Domingo Germán’s perfect game could be life-changer ($)
• Rosenthal: My MLB All-Star Game rosters — Notable absences, but talent isn’t lacking ($)
• McCaffrey: The anonymous clock-watchers behind MLB’s pitch-clock gambit ($)
• Adams: 2023-24 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: June Edition
• Adams: Royals’ Owner: “Total Confidence” In GM J.J. Picollo, Manager Matt Quatraro
• Law: Keith Law’s MLB Mock Draft 3.0: Paul Skenes to the Pirates at No. 1 ($)
• Adams: Tigers To Select Zach Logue
• Today in Baseball History

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