DeSclafani throws first-ever perfect game

After 26 no-hitters in DMBL history, it wasn't a former Ben McDonald winner or a future Hall of Famer who threw the league's first-ever perfect game but a journeyman who could be mistaken for your local plumber.

Hendricks no-hits Hoboken for 8+ innings

Hopatcong's Kyle Hendricks came within two outs of throwing the 22nd no-hitter in DMBL history, the first in almost a year, tossing 7 perfect innings against Hoboken.

Santana throws 20th no-hitter in league history

Ervin Santana was one walk away from the first perfect game in DMBL history but settled for the second no-hitter in a week and the 20th in league history.

Kazmir tosses DMBL's 3rd no-hitter of 2015

DMBL pitchers tied a league record with the third no-hitter this season. This time it was San Francisco's Scott Kazmir, who walked just one and struck out six in downing Vancouver, 2-0, at home on Thursday night.

Kazmir was tantalizingly close to throwing DMBL's first-ever perfect game. He walked John Jay with one out in the 5th but followed that up by inducing a ground-ball double play from Anthony Rendon, so he faced the minimum 27 batters. Of his 116 pitches, 75 went for strikes.

The Experience got all the runs they needed in the first, with a bases-loaded single by Jonathan LuCroy. The game featured zero extra-base hits.

Johnny Cueto, who tossed his own no-hitter this year, wasn't too shabby for Vancouver, going the distance. He surrendered four hits and two runs while striking out 10 and walking four. The first inning was his undoing, giving up three of his four hits and two of his four walks.

Kazmir is enjoying his best season yet after a solid year with the Experience in 2014, following three seasons away from the DMBL. He broke in as a highly-touted prospect with Hoboken in 2006. After losing 19 games in 2008, he was shipped to Philly, where he went 15-8 with a 5.03 ERA in 2009. In Vancouver the next season, he made only seven starts before disappearing. Kazmir re-emerged with San Francisco, when the Experience drafted him in 2014. He went 10-4 in 22 starts with a career-best 4.41 ERA.

With the no-hitter, Kazmir improves to 14-6 and lowers his ERA to 2.87, good for 7th in the league, and his WHIP to 1.18.

The other no-hitter this season was a combined effort for Hillsborough, by Garrett Richards and Carlos Martinez. It's the second year in a row that the league has seen a season-high three no-hitters.

It's the first no-hitter for the Experience since relocating to San Francisco. Previously, the franchise had no-hitters by Brett Myers in 2011 and AJ Burnett in 2008 when it was located in Las Vegas.

Bailey twirls Bridgewater's first no-hitter

Another trophy for the mantle

Homer Bailey was one batter away from the first perfect game in DMBL history but had to settle for tossing the 12th no-hitter in league history and the first ever for the Bridgewater franchise. Bailey struck out 10 in blanking Sardine City 3-0 on Sunday at The Cannery.

It's the first no-hitter in the DMBL since August 2012 when Hopatcong's Josh Tomlin no-hit Hillsborough.

Bailey's only blemish was the sixth inning. The Mallers right-hander retired the first 17 batters before walking the No. 9 hitter, Marco Scutaro, and followed that up with a wild pitch before retiring Christian Yelich. Of Bailey's 120 pitches, 76 were strikes.

Bridgewater got their offense from a second-inning solo home run by catcher Brian McCann, an RBI single that Carlos Beltran tried to stretch into a double that ended the third, and a solo shot from Jose Reyes in the seventh. Dillon Gee went 7 innings, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs to take the loss for the Straphangers.

The almost-28-year-old (he turns 28 on May 3) has struggled in the first month of the season, twice going 4+ innings, leaving in the 3rd with an injury, and lasting just 1 inning in another start. Despite that, Bailey even his record to 1-1, lowering his ERA to 5.70, with a 1.18 WHIP. He's now fourth in the league with 11.0 strikeouts per 9 innings. The no-no is a bright spot in what's been a tough start for the Mallers, who suffered through a 10-game skid earlier and stand at 6-16 through Sunday's doubleheader.

At least the last three no-hitters in the league have been firsts for their franchises. Tomlin's was the first for Hopatcong and earlier that year, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Motte combined to toss Sardine City's first-ever no-no.

Verlander near perfect, K's 13

It was all about pitching Friday night, with four of the eight games ending in shutouts -- another two games had teams held to just a run -- but none better than Justin Verlander, who put up the most dominant start of the season so far in a near perfect game.

The Hillsborough ace tossed a one-hitter, defeating the Floating Fish, 2-0. He walked none and struck out 13, including the side in the 1st and six of the first seven batters. Just four outs were recorded via fly ball.

An error by first baseman Billy Butler to start the fifth and a single by A.J. Pierzynski leading off the sixth were the only blemishes that kept Verlander from achieving a perfect game. After Pierzynki's hit, Verlander proceeded to strike out six of the next eight batters, including the side in the sixth inning.

Verlander improved to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to a league-leading 1.23. The 13 Ks also gave him the league lead with 53, two better than Bridgewater rookie Brandon Beachy.

There were two no-hitters in the DMBL last year, most recently in June when Brett Myers, then with Las Vegas, beat New Jersey, 1-0, and in May Carolina phenom Stephen Strasburg shut down Philly, 5-0.