It¡¯s pretty rare to be a part of history. But to do it twice? Now that¡¯s straight out of a movie.
Saturday¡¯s game between Durham and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Durham Bulls Athletic Park had all the trappings of a cinematic blockbuster (Bull Durham, anyone?), plot and characters included. The Bulls jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on an Eloy Jiménez double, which was made cuter by a Champ the Bat Dog cameo.
While the pitching was dominant, a diving catch amped up the drama.
Ultimately, three pitchers combined for Durham¡¯s seventh Triple-A no-hitter and a 4-0 win, including starter Joe Boyle and Jacob Waguespack -- but it was reliever Cole Sulser who earned a unique distinction.
Sulser was drafted in 2013 out of Dartmouth College by Cleveland but settled into the Rays organization in 2019. In July of that season, while assigned to Durham, Sulser notched a three-inning save in a combined seven-inning no-hitter with opener Jake Cronenworth (yes, the Padres two-time All-Star infielder!) and Luis Santos. The Bulls went on to record another no-hitter later that season, and Sulser went on to make his Major League debut.
Much like Odysseus in "The Odyssey," Sulser embarked on a long journey before arriving back home. He spent time in the Orioles, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Mets organizations between 2019 and 2024, before returning to the Rays prior to last season's Trade Deadline. Now back in Durham, the 35-year-old has yet to allow a run through his first five appearances, punctuated by Saturday¡¯s combined no-hitter. He contributed a strikeout in his two innings of work.
Only one reliever in MLB history has pitched in two combined no-hitters for the same club -- Ryan Pressly, who did so with the Houston Astros 130 days apart in 2022, the latter being in Game 4 of the World Series. He had the benefit of continuity, particularly in the supporting cast. Sulser, however, had 2,115 days between no-hitters. To end up back with the same team and accomplish something so rare twice -- and six years apart -- makes it all the more noteworthy.