When he walks to the Petco Park mound on Thursday night to face the Pittsburgh Pirates, Eric Lauer will have an opportunity to do what 8,019 Padres starters before him could not — throw a no-hitter.
No pressure.
If Lauer allows a hit, it will mark the club’s 8,020th game without a no-hitter, eclipsing the record set by the Mets.
New York’s streak froze at 8,019 games on June 1, 2012, when Johan Santana held St. Louis hitless in an 8-0 home win over the Cardinals.
That left the Padres as the only franchise in the majors without a no-hitter.