It was weird.

In fact, it was out-of-this-world weird.

It all started when Thursday night’s season opener between the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the Oakland A’s affiliate Stockton Ports were rained out at Banner Island Ballpark in downtown Stockton. As a result, the teams would play a doubleheader on Friday evening. The caveat is that both games of the twin bill would be limited to seven innings each – barring a tie, that is.

There would be no tie in either game but there would be something else, something historical. In fact, there would be something that would come so incredibly close to being absolutely impossible.

Allow me to elaborate.

In the first game, Ports right-hander Brett Graves, the A’s third-round draft pick in 2014, was perfect through his 4.0 innings of work; no runs, no hits, no walks and five strikeouts. But because it was the first game of the season, Ports manager Rick Magnante pulled Graves after making 42 pitches (26 strikes), and understandably so. There was certainly no sense in taxing Graves’ arm in game-1 of a 140-game season.

Graves was replaced by Ports right-hander Joey Wagman, who carried the perfect game into the top of the seventh and (presumably) final inning, with his team up by a score of 2-0.

And then it happened.

With one out, Quakes second baseman Omar Estevez singled to left to end the perfect game and the no-hitter. Wagman would then retire the final two Quakes batter to preserve the combined shutout and collect the win, but there would not be a no-hitter on this night.

…or so we thought.

Quakes right-hander Mitch White, who was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of nearby Santa Clara University and who actually pitched three innings for the Dodgers during spring training, was handed the ball to start game two of the abbreviated double header. And even though the Ports had a man reach first on a fielding error in the bottom of the second inning and White would walk three consecutive batters in the bottom of the fourth inning (but was aided by a 6-4-3 double play), he left the game having allowed no runs or hits, while striking out five in his 4.0 innings pitched, during which he made 61 pitches of which 39 were strikes.

It became clear very quickly on Friday night that 22-year-old right-hander Mitch White was on his game when he struck out the first two Ports batters he faced. He and fellow right-hander Alex Hermeling would go on to throw the first no-hitter in Quakes franchise history.
(Photo credit – Larry Goren)

White was relieved by Quakes right-hander Alex Hermeling, who was equally brilliant. The 24-year-old Evanston, IL native was initially drafted by the Dodgers in 43rd round in 2011 but did not sign with the team. He later did so as a non-drafted free agent in 2015. Like White, Hermeling also allowed no run or hits on Friday night while walking none and striking out one in his three innings of work. He made a total of 26 pitches of which 19 were strikes to secure the first Quakes no-hitter – combined or otherwise – in the 25-year history of the franchise.

“Today was full of emotions,” said Quakes center fielder DJ Peters, after the historic game. “It was my first time to ever put on a Quakes uniform and of course it was Opening Day. And then for the pitching staff to throw a no-hitter, this is something that you’ll rarely see at this level, especially on Opening Day, which I don’t think has ever happened before in MiLB history. It was great to be part of it and to witness it with my own eyes from center field. It’s a time that I’ll never forget.”

Of course White’s and Hermeling’s combined no-no might not have even happened had the Quakes not scored, which is a story in itself.

The Rancho squad got on the board in the top of the first inning on a monster home run to center field by Quakes first baseman Ibandel Isabel with a man aboard.

But wait, there’s more!

Isabel would homer again with a man on and again to center field in the top of the third inning to account for all four all of the Quakes runs in the eventual 4-0 win to split the doubleheader.

Although it would have been absolutely amazing had the Quakes and Ports begun their respective 2017 seasons with no-hitters on both ends of a doubleheader, it’s probably safe to say that it will be a very long time before there will be a no-hitter and one-hitter in a doubleheader … if ever.

But there is one thing that you can be absolutely positively can count on. The 2017 season is going to be one heck of a ride for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

This you can take to the bank.