Giants' Jonathan Sanchez pitches no-hitter

On a night when Jonathan Sanchez was nearly perfect, his father chose the perfect time to show up in San Francisco and cheer him.

The Giants' left-hander threw the majors' first no-hitter of the season Friday night and came within a whisper of a perfect game. The only runner to reach against him in an 8-0 victory over the San Diego Padres came on an error by third baseman Juan Uribe with one out in the eighth.

"Right now I'm just going to go home and hang out with my dad," Sanchez said. "I was pumped that he was here watching the game."

Sanchez almost lost his no-hit bid in the ninth, but Gold Glove center fielder Aaron Rowand saved the gem with a leaping grab at the center-field fence to rob pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez for the second out.

With his father and a friend cheering from the stands, Sanchez threw a called third strike past Everth Cabrera to finish his first career complete game. Sanchez walked toward the plate and thrust his arms in the air as catcher Eli Whiteside rushed in for a big hug and the Giants poured out of their dugout.

Also offering their congratulations were Johnson, the last major leaguer to throw a perfect game, and Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, who tossed a no-hitter for the New York Yankees on July 4, 1983.

It was the Giants' 13th no-hitter and first since John Montefusco did it on Sept. 29, 1976, at Atlanta. Their last one in San Francisco came when Ed Halicki beat the New York Mets in the second game of a doubleheader on Aug. 24, 1975.

Sanchez, who won for the first time since May 25, had a five-start winless stretch this season in which he went 0-4. He told The Associated Press two days earlier that he hadn't lost his confidence in his ability to pitch and be a starter in the major leagues — and manager Bruce Bochy hadn't lost faith, either.

Sanchez's father and friend stood nervously — with the rest of the crowd of 30,298 at AT&T Park on a cool night in the Bay Area — and his dad couldn't look at the end. But Sanchez's dad quickly got down to the dugout to congratulate a pitcher who made his 51st major league start the most special of his career after months of struggles.

Cabrera, the last batter of the game, squared to bunt on the first pitch — bringing a chorus of boos from the crowd. Sanchez then froze Cabrera with a breaking ball, setting a career-high with his 11th strikeout. Cabrera protested the call, looking at plate umpire Brian Runge in disbelief.

The last no-hitter in San Francisco was pitched by Florida's Kevin Brown on June 10, 1997, at Candlestick Park — so this was the first at the Giants' 10-year-old waterfront ballpark.