Dodgers leave mark with 17 straight no-hit innings

As Hyun-Jin Ryu flirted with perfection on Monday evening, the Dodgers had the chance to make some history of their own.

Following Josh Beckett's first career no-no on Sunday, Los Angeles had the opportunity to become the first team in Major League history to toss back-to-back no-hitters.

And although Ryu fell short -- with Cincinnati's Todd Frazier leading off the eighth inning with a double to give the Reds their first baserunner -- the Dodgers still put themselves in some pretty elite company.

Ryu and Beckett combined to hold opposing batters hitless for 48 consecutive at-bats. Toss in the final four outs recorded by Paul Maholm in a loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, and the Dodgers' staff combined for 52 consecutive hitless at-bats (between a Ben Revere single and Frazier's double).

In at least the last 34 years, Major League Baseball has only seen one other streak that long, the Angels in May 2012. Jerome Williams held the Twins hitless for the final six innings the day before they went 0-for-28 during Jered Weaver's no-hitter. The next night, Dan Haren retired the first six Blue Jays he faced.

That Angels' stretch was also the last time any team combined to throw 17 straight hitless innings.

The next-longest streak was last turned in by the 1981 Astros, who held the Dodgers without a hit for 16 frames from Sept. 25-27. Nolan Ryan was the star of that run, tossing the fifth of his seven no-hitters. But the Dodgers got their revenge soon enough, bouncing the Astros in the National League Division Series two weeks later, en route to a World Series title.

Since then, there have been two streaks of 15 no-hit innings.

In June 1995, the Expos held the Padres hitless over 15 frames in two games, but neither starter managed to toss a no-no. Pedro Martinez worked nine innings without allowing a hit, but the game went extras and San Diego's Bip Roberts led off the 10th with a double.

The Cubs didn't allow a hit in 15 innings against the Astros in 2008, spanning Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter on Sept. 14 and six hitless innings from Ted Lilly the following night.

The only instance of no-hitters by the same team on consecutive days came in 1917. The St. Louis Browns' Ernie Koob tossed a no-hitter against the White Sox on May 5, and -- after the Browns had won Game 1 of their doubleheader the next day, 8-4 -- teammate Bob Groom no-hit the South Siders in the nightcap.