Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz caught his fourth no-hitter on Saturday when Cole Hamels dominated the Cubs at Wrigley Field. That ties him with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek for the major league record in no-hitters caught, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
The no-hitters:
- May 29, 2010: Roy Halladay vs. Florida Marlins (1-0)
- October 6, 2010: Roy Halladay vs. Cincinnati Reds in NLDS Game 1 (4-0)
- September 1, 2014: Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, Jonathan Papelbon vs. Atlanta Braves (7-0)
- July 25, 2015: Cole Hamels vs. Chicago Cubs (5-0)
Varitek caught Hideo Nomo against the Orioles in 2001, Derek Lowe against the Devil Rays in 2002, Clay Buchholz against the Orioles in 2007, and Jon Lester against the Royals in 2008.
Ruiz, 36, has drawn considerable praise for his ability to handle a pitching staff and call a game. He famously developed a strong bond with Halladay during their four years as teammates, as Halladay routinely praised Ruiz effusively. Halladay also made this hilarious commercial for the MLB 2K11 video game:
Ruiz has had a tough 2015 otherwise, however, putting together a .223/.312/.301 triple-slash line with two home runs and 16 RBI in 236 plate appearances. He also has not been as good defensively as he has been in the past.