Blake Snell didn't exactly begin the 2024 season on the best of notes. But Snell has been performing at a much better level for the San Francisco Giants as of late, and on Friday night, he put it all together. The 31-year-old lefty and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner tossed the first no-hitter of his career, blanking the Cincinnati Reds, 3-0. He struck out 11 and allowed just three baserunners on the night, all via walk.
It was a dominant night for Snell, and this just shows how talented he remains even though he hasn't quite put together his most impressive season in 2024. But the highlight of the evening might have been his hilarious postgame interview where he was affectionately given an ice bath by his Giants teammates that was more dangerous than usual.
“It's cold. I gotta collect my breath. Get a replay of that. That's how you don't do it. They hit me in the head with the dang lid,” Snell said with a huge smile on his face, via Rob Friedman, the Pitching Ninja.
Snell's Giants teammates better not do anything to get him out of the rhythm he has been in since he returned from injury in early July. The last thing Snell needs is a concussion off an inadvertent hit from a cooler.
Kidding aside, Snell is proving himself worthy of the contract he signed in the offseason. It looked like the Giants' signing of him was going to be a disaster, but now, the 31-year-old has found his groove, proceeding to pitch the best game of his career in a stellar no-hitter.
Blake Snell is on his A-game for the Giants
Blake Snell did not sign with the Giants until late March, and by then, the beginning of the season was right around the corner. The lack of preparation time for the season led to a disastrous start to 2024 for Snell. He tallied a putrid 9.51 ERA through his first six starts of the season, with two trips to the injured list destroying any chance of him getting into a rhythm.
Following his June 2 start against the Yankees, the Giants placed Snell on the injured list due to a groin strain — a re-aggravation of the injury that kept him out for nearly a month earlier in the season. Snell returned to the mound on July 9, and since then, he has been on a tear.
In five starts since, Snell has been electric. He has allowed just two earned runs in 33 innings of work since recovering from injury, and prior to his 11-strikeout, no-hit start on Friday, he struck out 15 in just six innings in a masterclass against the Colorado Rockies.
Snell appears to be all the way back after a nightmare beginning to 2024, and with the Giants remaining alive in the wild card hunt, they'll be needing more of these performances from the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Snell has now lowered his ERA on the year all the way down to 5.10. Expect that figure to fall if Snell continues to pitch like he has over the past month.
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