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Nationals affiliate throws back-to-back no-hitters in doubleheader

The Gulf Coast League Nationals had everything working Sunday. (AP Photo)
The Gulf Coast League Nationals had everything working Sunday. (AP Photo)

Throwing a no-hitter is quite the feat. Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, it’s only been accomplished 296 times. While Johnny Vander Meer managed to throw two no-hitters in consecutive starts, no team has ever followed up a no-hitter with another no-hitter in the next game … until Sunday.

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The Gulf Coast League (GCL) Nationals did that in just one day. During a doubleheader against the GCL Marlins, the Nationals threw two consecutive no-hitters.

The GCL Nationals, an affiliate of the Washington Nationals, are a rookie league club. Since it’s the minor leagues, doubleheaders only run seven innings. On top of that, multiple pitchers combined for the no-hitters in both games.

But those things don’t make the accomplishment any less impressive. As the team, they tossed 14 total innings without giving up a hit. That’s excellent.

The pitchers responsible for the task deserve some recognition. In Game 1, Joan Baez and Jose Jimenez got the job done. Baez went six of the seven inning, walking one and striking out seven. Jimenez came on for the final inning, finishing off the 4-0 win.

In Game 2, Jared Johnson and Gilberto Chu combined to no-hit the Marlins. Johnson tossed four innings, striking out two and walking one. Chu pitched the remaining three, striking out four batters. The Nationals scored one run in the fourth inning, winning 1-0.

Those four ought to pat themselves on the back. They managed something that’s never been done in the majors.

With two straight no-hitters under their belts, the GCL Nationals will have an opportunity to extend that streak soon. The team takes on the GCL Cardinals on Monday.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik