No-hitter fun facts

In honor of Jon Lester's amazing no-hitter last night, DITR wants to share some fun facts about the Red Sox and no-hitters.

• A former Portland Sea Dog has thrown a no-hitter in the majors during each of the last three seasons: Anibal Sanchez for the Florida Marlins in 2006, Clay Buchholz for the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and Jon Lester, also for the Red Sox, in 2008.


• In each of those, a former Sea Dog made a key defensive play to save the no-hitter: Hanley Ramirez for Sanchez, Dustin Pedroia for Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury (shown above during the play in question) for Lester.


• Catcher Jason Varitek (who briefly played for the Pawtucket Red Sox right after the Boston Red Sox acquired him, with pitcher Derek Lowe, from the Seattle Mariners) has caught four no-hitters, the most of any major league catcher in history. One of them was Lowe's no-hitter in 2002.


• Charles Johnson caught three no-hitters during his career. Johnson played for the Sea Dogs back when they were affiliated with the Marlins, and was the first member of the team to ever make it to the majors.


• Lester's no-hitter was the first for a Red Sox lefty since Mel Parnell (who is also a lymphoma survivor) hurled one in 1956.


• Lester and Buchholz's no-hitters are the first for the same team without one in between by any other team since Nolan Ryan did it himself (one in the '74 season and the other in '75) for the California Angels. Ryan, BTW, is the only other pitcher to ever no-hit the Kansas City Royals.