RetroSimba

(Updated June 22, 2020)

In his fourth major-league start for the Cardinals, Anthony Reyes delivered a brilliant and frustrating performance.

On June 22, 2006, Reyes pitched a one-hitter for the Cardinals against the White Sox in Chicago, but lost. The hit he surrendered, a home run by Jim Thome in the seventh inning, carried the White Sox to a 1-0 victory.

“There is no justice that he is the losing pitcher,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

White Sox coach Joey Cora, who was filling in for suspended manager Ozzie Guillen, said of Reyes’ pitching: “Hall of Fame stuff.”

Changing speeds

Reyes, 24, was called up to the Cardinals from Class AAA Memphis before the game to replace injured Mark Mulder in the rotation. Reyes debuted with the Cardinals in August 2005 and also made two starts for them in May 2006 before being sent to Memphis.

A right-hander, Reyes was facing a White Sox lineup that pummeled Cardinals pitching in the first two games of the series. The White Sox won those games by scores of 20-6 and 13-5.

Using a mix of fastballs, changeups and curves, Reyes kept White Sox batters off balance.

“He changed speeds, moved the ball in and out,” Cora said to the Chicago Sun-Times. “He was outstanding.”

Good wood

With one out in the seventh and the score at 0-0, Reyes hadn’t yielded a hit. Asked whether he was aware he had a chance for a no-hitter, Reyes told the Associated Press, “I never thought about it.”

Thome, the designated hitter for the White Sox, came to the plate.

“You’re not thinking home run when a guy is pitching like that,” Thome said to the Chicago Tribune. “You’re thinking about a certain pitch and putting good wood on it and getting something started.”

Reyes’ first pitch to Thome was a fastball. The slugger swung and launched a shot into the bleachers.

“The ball was in the middle and I was fortunate to hit it,” Thome said.

Said Reyes: ‘I just missed a little bit over the plate and you can’t really do that up in this league.”

Series star

Reyes pitched the 23rd one-hitter in Cardinals franchise history.

His line for the game: 8 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts.

It was the first time the White Sox won with one hit since May 21, 2000, a 2-1 victory versus the Blue Jays.

The Cardinals were kept in check by White Sox starter Freddy Garcia. He limited them to four hits _ a David Eckstein double and singles by Scott Rolen, Juan Encarnacion and Aaron Miles _ over eight innings. Bobby Jenks pitched a hitless ninth.

“This was a very tough game to lose,” La Russa said. “We had a chance to win and we didn’t win it.” Boxscore

Reyes made 17 starts for the 2006 Cardinals and was 5-8 with a 5.06 ERA. His gem against the White Sox was his only complete game that season.

In the 2006 World Series, Reyes delivered another surprise. He started and won Game 1 for the Cardinals, holding the Tigers to four hits and two runs in eight innings in a 7-2 St. Louis triumph at Detroit.