Cliff Chambers Stats

Cliff Chambers No-Hitter

Cliff Chambers had split even in four decisions for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951 when he faced the second-place Boston Braves in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, May 6, before 15,492 fans at Braves Field. Opposing Chambers was rookie George Estock, making his first major league start.

In the last of the first inning, Chambers walked leadoff man Roy Hartsfield but fanned Sam Jethroe, retired on a pop-up to shortstop George Strickland in shallow left and struck out Bob Elliott.

After retiring the Braves in order in the second, Chambers walked Buddy Kerr to open the third. Estock sacrificed Kerr to second, where he was stranded as Hartsfield fanned and Jethroe flied to short right. Torgeson walked to start the fourth, but was erased in a double play.

With one out in the fifth, Luis Olmo almost scratched a hit, but Chambers leaped high to spear the bouncer over the mound and throw him out.

The sixth frame was Chambers' worst. He began by walking the leadoff man for the fourth time. Estock drew the bases on balls, reached second on a wild pitch and took third on Hartsfield sacrifice. Jethroe bounced to short and Strickland, holding Estock at third, threw him out. Torgeson drew his second walk and Elliott, who usually hit Chambers as if he owned him, blasted a long drive to right-center that looked like an extra-base hit. But the wind held up the ball long enough for right fielder Gus Bell to grab it over his head to end the inning.

Chambers walked the leadoff batter for the fifth time in the seventh. Sid Gordon drew the pass but was stranded when Walker Cooper, Olmo and Kerr were easily dispatched. It looked as if Chambers might weaken in the eighth. He fanned Luis Marquez, batting for Estock, at the start but walked Harstfield. Jethroe popped out, but Torgeson drew Cliff's eighth pass. Elliott's best this time was a towering foul that catcher Ed Fitzgerald took near the stands.

After Gordon was retired in the ninth, Cooper smashed a 390-foot drive to center that George Metkovich pulled down at the fence after a long run. Olmo gave the fans one final thrill with a well-hit ball to center tha Metkovich caught to end the game.

The Pirates scored once in the first on Metkovich's double to center with out out and Bell's single off shortstop Kerr's glove. In the sixth, Metkovich led off with a double and scored easily as Estock walked Bell, retired Ralph Kiner and Wally Westlake, and then passed Strickland and Monty Basgall. Westlake walked to start the eighth, moved around on Strickland's sacrifice, Basgall's scratch hit and a single by Chambers.

Chambers, who tied a no-hit game record (since broken) by walking eight batters, was traded to St. Louis June 15. He finished with a 14-12 mark.