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As of this writing, a grand total of 320 MLB teams have managed to record a no-hitter since the league was officially formed all the way back in 1876.
That includes the record seven times Nolan Ryan was able to deprive the opposing team of a hit over the course of his legendary career, as well as 20 instances where multiple pitchers on the same team managed to pull off a “combined no-hitter” thanks to a stellar team effort.
The nature of a no-hitter means it’s pretty hard to lose a game where your pitcher is clicking all on cylinders; while it’s possible for the other team to score with the help of walks and errors, you almost have to try to walk away with an L when everything is said and done.
However, there have been multiple instances where those pitchers have been victimized by their own team’s lethargic offensive output—including one man who holds the unenviable distinction of being the only person in MLB history to throw a no-hitter over the course of nine innings without being credited with a victory.
How Ken Johnson managed to throw a no-hitter and still lose the game
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Ken Johnson spent 13 years in the MLB over the course of a career where he posted a record of 91-106 and boasted an ERA of 3.46. He never came close to becoming a household name, but he’ll always have a place in baseball history thanks to what unfolded when his Houston Colt .45s (now the Astros) faced off against the Cincinnati Reds on April 23, 1964.
Johnson walked a batter in the top of the first inning but also recorded a couple of strikeouts to get out of the frame unscathed. From there, the Reds went three up, three down for three consecutive innings before earning another walk in the top of the fifth, which ended with no further damage.
Johnson was once again spotless for the next three innings and still had a no-hitter (and nine strikeouts) under his belt when he trotted out to the mound for the top of the ninth. While his team had managed to record five hits by that point, they’d failed to capitalize, as the score was still knotted at zero.
Things took an interesting turn when Pete Rose stepped up to the plate, as Johnson nabbed the ground ball he hit back to the mound but flubbed the throw to first, which allowed Rose to advance to second base on the play.
Rose advanced to third on a ground ball that led to the second out of the inning, and he managed to score on the next at-bat thanks to another error on a ground ball Houston second baseman Nellie Fox failed to field cleanly.
Johnson’s no-hitter was still intact after he got Frank Robinson to fly out to end the frame, but the Colt .45s still trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth and were ultimately unable to stage a comeback, which made Johnson the first (and, to this day, the only) pitcher in MLB history to throw a complete no-hitter and still be burdened with a loss.