Cleveland no-hit for record 3rd time, Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader combine on no-no for Brewers

CLEVELAND — Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes and closer Josh Hader combined to no-hit Cleveland on Saturday evening in a 3-0 Brewers win.

Cleveland becomes the first Major League Baseball team to have three official no-hitters thrown against it in one season. Zach Plesac was Cleveland's starting pitcher in each of the three no-hitters.

"I don't even know if that like makes sense to me yet," said Plesac, who himself took a no-hit bid into the eighth earlier this season at Seattle. "... I think it's insane ... it's incredible."

For the Brewers, this is just their second no-hitter in franchise history. Juan Nieves threw the first no-hitter for the Brewers on April 15, 1987 at Baltimore.

It's the ninth no-hitter in MLB this season — also a record — and second combined no-no of 2021 (the Cubs combined to no-hit the Dodgers in Los Angeles on June 24). It's the 16th combined no-hitter in MLB history.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell lifted Burnes after the eighth, turning the game — and no-hit bid — over to Hader.

Hader got the final three outs, striking out Myles Straw on a check swing attempt for the 27th out. Hader earned his 31st save.

Burnes threw a season-high 115 pitches. His previous season high was 108.

"I think anyone would want to keep pitching in that situation," Burnes said.

But he understood his manager's decision and knows it's best in the long run. Milwaukee is poised to be a World Series contender and has a comfortable lead in the National League Central. 

Burnes said he fought to stay in for the eighth but "I knew I had no shot at the ninth."

That's not to say he didn't feel strong enough to finish it, if allowed.

"I felt better in the seventh and eighth than I probably did in the middle innings," Burnes said.

Burnes struck out 14 Saturday. He's the 12th pitcher ever to record 14 more strikeouts against Cleveland — the first since the late Jose Fernandez of Miami struck out 14 in 2013.

Burnes was perfect through six innings before walking Straw to lead off the seventh.

Burnes recorded his 200th strikeout of the season earlier in the game. He improved to 10-4 with the win, lowering his ERA to 2.25 in 152 innings. This was his 25th start of the season, as he's among the contenders for the National League Cy Young Award.

Milwaukee's defense delivered a couple late-inning gems.

A great diving catch in center field by Lorenzo Cain ended the eighth.

First baseman Jace Peterson then made a nice running catch on a foul ball for the second out of the ninth.

Cleveland was no-hit tearlier this season by Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox on April 14 and by Wade Miley of the Cincinnati Reds on May 7.

Cleveland also was no-hit by Tampa Bay in a seven-inning game July 7 where the Rays used multiple pitchers. Since it was a seven-inning game, it does not count as an official no-hitter, according to MLB.

It's the second game this week where an opposing pitcher flirted with a no-hitter against Cleveland. Minnesota one-hit Cleveland on Wednesday night, as Twins starter Joe Ryan carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his second big league appearance. Minnesota won that game 3-0.