Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants, No Hitter

Jonathan Sanchez:

Jonathan Sanchez was nearly perfect on one night, his father chose the perfect time to show up in San Francisco and cheer him.

San Francisco Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez works against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 10, 2009, in San Francisco.

Jonathan Sanchez, the Giants’ left-hander threw the majors’ first no-hitter of the season Friday night and came within a whisper of a perfect game. The only runner to reach against him in an 8-0 victory over the San Diego Padres came on an error by third baseman Juan Uribe with one out in the eighth.

Jonathan Sanchez’s dad, Sirgfredo, watched nervously from the stands, bouncing and biting his nails, then scurried down to the dugout to be among the first to congratulate the pitcher.

“Right now I’m just going to go home and hang out with my dad,” Jonathan Sanchez said. “I was pumped that he was here watching the game.”

Jonathan Sanchez almost lost his no-hit bid in the ninth, but Gold Glove center fielder Aaron Rowand saved the gem with a leaping grab at the center-field fence to rob pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez for the second out.

“I was going to go up and over and land on the other side of the fence if I had to, to try to make the catch,” Rowand said.

The 26-year-old Jonathan Sanchez (3-8) returned to the rotation after a nearly three-week demotion to the bullpen — and only got the call because 303-game winner Randy Johnson went on the disabled list this week with a shoulder injury.

With his father and a friend cheering from the stands, Jonathan Sanchez threw a called third strike past Everth Cabrera to finish his first career complete game. Jonathan Sanchez walked toward the plate and thrust his arms in the air as catcher Eli Whiteside rushed in for a big hug and the Giants poured out of their dugout.

Also offering their congratulations were Johnson, the last major leaguer to throw a perfect game, and Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, who tossed a no-hitter for the New York Yankees on July 4, 1983.

Jonathan Sanchez’s father is visiting from Puerto Rico and arrived in San Francisco on Thursday night. When the pitcher came off the field, the two shared a long embrace before Jonathan Sanchez jogged back onto the field and tipped his cap to the cheering crowd.

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