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Blue Jays’ prospect Rafael Sanchez throws fourth no-hitter in Fisher Cats’ history
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Ryley Delaney
Jun 8, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 8, 2025, 03:14 EDT
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One of the Toronto Blue Jays’ affiliates is getting some incredible pitching.
After Thursday’s game, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats reached 30 consecutive innings without giving up a single run, dating back to last Sunday. Friday’s game was a rainout, meaning a doubleheader was scheduled for Saturday.
Unlike the big leagues, minor league doubleheaders are just seven innings long. That benefited the Fisher Cats and Rafael Sanchez, as the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher threw a no-hitter in the first game of the doubleheader.
In total, he walked two batters and struck out two on 90 pitches, dropping his ERA to 4.91. If you’re wondering about the Fisher Cats’ scoreless inning count, it reached 37 after the first game of the doubleheader. Grant Rogers kept the shutout streak alive for three more innings before Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson hit his seventh home run of the season to end the streak at 40 consecutive innings without a run given up.
This was the fourth Fisher Cats’ no-hitter in franchise history and the first one since 2012. That one was a combined no-hitter, as Brett Cecil, Danny Farquhar, and Ronald Uviedo threw nine no-hit innings in a 6-0 win on May 21, 2012. The last time one pitcher threw a complete game no-hitter for the Fisher Cats was on Independence Day, 2010, by Kyle Drabek, a prospect the Jays received in the Roy Halladay trade.
This is the sixth consecutive season one of the Blue Jays’ affiliates threw a no-hitter (not counting the cancelled 2020 season). Last season, Lazaro Estrada threw a no-hitter for the Vancouver Canadians. In 2023, Devereaux Harrison and Matt Svanson combined for a no-hitter for the Canadians, while Fernando Perez, Cobi Johnson, and Jerry Huntzinger threw a no-hitter for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays the same season.
Kendry Rojas, Cooper Benson, Sam Ryan, and Ian Churchill combined for a no-hitter in 2022 with the Dunedin Blue Jays. There were two no-hitters in the organization in 2021, as the FCL Jays saw Yeifer Perdomo, Marc Civit, Kelvin Perez, Stephen Vargas, and Brayan Mejia throw a no-hitter on August 23. Four days before, Trent Palmer threw a no-hitter for the D-Jays. Lastly, T.J. Zeuch threw a no-hitter for the Buffalo Bisons on August 19, 2019.
All in all, both the scoreless streak and the no-hitter are impressive feats for the Fisher Cats.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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