Ken Johnson Throws a No-Hitter and Loses

On the night of April 23, 1964, Houston Colt .45s pitcher Ken Johnson threw a complete-game no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds and lost 1-0. He remains the only pitcher in major league history to lose an official nine-inning no-hitter by himself.

The game was scoreless through eight innings. Johnson had been dominant, striking out nine Reds and walking two while keeping every Cincinnati batter off the basepaths with a hit. Then the ninth inning arrived.

Reds pitcher Joe Nuxhall grounded out to third. Pete Rose, a twenty-two-year-old in his second season, laid down a bunt on the third-base side. Johnson fielded it and threw wildly past first base. Rose advanced to second on the error. A groundout moved Rose to third. Then Vada Pinson hit a grounder to second baseman Nellie Fox, who bobbled it. Rose scored. The only run of the game came home on two errors, neither requiring a base hit.

Johnson finished the game with nine innings, zero hits, one unearned run, two walks, and nine strikeouts. His line was immaculate. The scoreboard was not.

"I pitched the best game of my life and still lost," Johnson told reporters afterward. When Fox, the veteran second baseman, apologized in the clubhouse, Johnson put his arm around Fox's shoulder. "Don't feel bad about it, Nellie," he said. "I put the guy on myself."

Johnson pitched in the majors for thirteen seasons and won 91 games. His no-hitter is the one that followed him, the night he proved that perfection on the mound still does not guarantee a win.