The Double No-Hitter

The Double No-Hitter

On May 2, 1917, baseball fans witnessed an event so rare it has never been repeated. The Chicago Cubs faced off against the Cincinnati Reds in what began as a pitchers' duel for the ages and ended as one of the most unusual games in baseball history.

Hippo Vaughn of the Cubs and Fred Toney of the Reds both pitched nine innings of no-hit ball. This was the first and only time in major league history that opposing pitchers had maintained no-hitters through nine innings.

The game remained scoreless and hitless until the top of the 10th inning. The Reds finally managed to scratch out a hit and a run against Vaughn, breaking up his no-hitter and taking the lead. In the bottom of the 10th, Toney completed his no-hitter, and the Reds won the game 1-0.

While Vaughn lost his no-hitter and the game in the 10th, Toney's performance stands as one of only two extra-inning no-hitters in modern major league history. The game is often referred to as a "double no-hitter," even though technically only Toney completed the feat.

This extraordinary game highlights the incredible skill of pitchers in the dead-ball era and remains one of the most unusual pitching duels in the annals of baseball history.