Expos no-hitter history

MLB.com looks back at every no-hitter in the franchise's history

March 15th, 2019

Before moving to Washington in 2005, the Montreal Expos treated Canada, a hockey country, to three no-hitters and a perfect game by arguably the greatest Latin American pitcher of all time.

MLB.com takes a look back at every no-hitter thrown in Expos franchise history.

July 28, 1991: Dennis Martinez (Perfect game)
Expos 2, Dodgers 0

In the Expos’ final no-hitter before they moved to Washington, Dennis Martinez threw the first and only perfect game in franchise history. It was the 13th perfect game in MLB history.

A Nicaragua native, Martinez was the first pitcher born outside of the U.S. to pitch a perfect game. Venezuela native Felix Hernandez has since joined Martinez in that category by throwing a perfect game in 2012.

The fans at Dodger Stadium gave Martinez, who only threw 96 pitches, a standing ovation. After the game, Martinez cried in the dugout.

Ron Hassey also became the first catcher of two MLB perfect games after catching Len Barker’s in 1981.

Martinez finished his career with the most wins by a Latin American pitcher (245) and made four All-Star Games over his 23-year career.

May 10, 1981: Charlie Lea
Expos 4, Giants 0

Lea struggled in his first two starts of 1981 and moved to a bullpen role. But in his third start, Lea, 24, threw the first no-hitter at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. The stadium was built in 1976 and became the Expos’ new home.

Lea didn’t dominate the entire game, walking four batters, but his performance in the second game of a doubleheader solidified him as a respected starter in the National League.

“I just want to sit back and let this sink in for a while,” Lea said afterwards.

“No one would have thought he’d do it,” former Expos catcher Gary Carter said at the time.

Lea played in the 1984 All-Star Game, but shoulder injuries derailed his career afterward. The right-hander finished his career with a 62-48 record and 3.54 ERA.

Lea passed away of a heart attack in 2011. The French native was 54 years old.

Oct. 2, 1972: Bill Stoneman
Expos 7, Mets 0

More than three years after throwing the franchise’s initial no-hitter, Stoneman became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Canada.

The right-hander again was far from perfect, walking seven batters with an error, but he only allowed two runners to reach scoring position while striking out nine in front of a sparse crowd at Jarry Park Stadium.

The error occured after Stoneman walked Bill Sudakis to open the fifth. Don Hahn, a former Expo, hit a two-hopper back to Stoneman. Hondo reached first base.

“Because it was a doubleheader, I remember I was still doing interviews when the second game had started,” Stoneman recalled to MLB.com in 2015. “My family was there for the game, which was exciting for me.”

Stoneman’s performance was a happy ending to an otherwise disappointing Expos season, in which they finished 70-86 and fifth in the NL East.

Stoneman made history just four days after the Canadian National Hockey League players defeated the Soviet national team in the final game of their Summit Series. Stoneman stole some of hockey’s headlines that week, since it was the first time most Canadians watched a no-hitter outside of American soil.

Stoneman earned his first and only All-Star nod in 1972 and finished his eight-year MLB career with a 54-85 record and 4.08 ERA.

April 17, 1969: Bill Stoneman
Expos 7, Phillies 0

The Expos selected Stoneman in the 10th round of their expansion draft in October 1968, and in just the ninth game in franchise history, Stoneman threw the team’s first no-hitter.

Because of a rain delay the previous day, Stoneman thought his pitching day would change. However, Stoneman discovered he’d be starting April 17 when he arrived in the clubhouse that day.

In front of a crowd of 6,496 at Connie Mack Stadium, Stoneman walked five batters, but the right-hander only allowed one runner to get into scoring position and struck out eight.

Stoneman, who was in his third year playing in the MLB, only used two pitches at the time -- a four-seam fastball and a curveball.

“It’s probably a good thing I had no clue how to react,” Stoneman recalled to MLB.com in 2015. “The further along the game went, the more focused I got.”

The performance was rare for Stoneman at the time. The Oak Park, Ill., native allowed six or more hits in eight of his next 10 starts after the no-hitter.