Fact Check: Did Alex Cobb throw a no-hitter against Reds? Examining Giants pitcher's extraordinary night at Oracle Park

Alex Cobb was one out away from a no-hitter during the San Francisco Giants' 6-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

After two outs in the ninth inning, Reds second baseman Spencer Steer hit a drive to right field that eluded outfielder Luis Matos, becoming Cobb's first hit of the game.

Alex Cobb also hit a batter with a walk in the eighth. In his sixth full game and second of the season, he gave up only one hit, walking one and striking out eight. He could not complete the no-hitter, though, as he gave up a hit in the ninth innings.

“It’s still fun,” Cobb said. “I wasn’t mad or sad. It was just, ‘All right, let’s finish it off.’ At least [I got] the CG out of it. So many things have to go right for those things to happen.”

Before Steer's double gave the Reds their lone run, Alex Cobb nearly had the sixth no-hitter in big league history as he dazzled with his split-finger fastball to shut down Cincinnati.

It's no secret that Cobb has been attempting to recapture his early-season form, when he was probably the most underappreciated pitcher in MLB. With eight home runs allowed and only 17 strikeouts in 26.1 innings thrown (six starts) in August, Cobb had a 6.84 ERA (6.73 FIP) going into play on Tuesday.

Alex Cobb, on song, is one of MLB's most productive pitchers. Each subsequent pitch, which he throws quickly, results in a high proportion of swinging strikes and soft contact.

Cobb works quickly on the mound, occasionally pausing to fiddle with the ball and run his hands through his hair.

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Alex Cobb's career with San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants hired Cobb on Nov. 30, 2021, to a two-year, $20 million deal with a $10 million club option for his third season.

He made 23 starts for the Giants in 2022 and went 7-8 with a 3.73 ERA. In 149.2 innings, he struck out 151 hitters, a career best mark. The best ratio of strikeouts to walks in his career is 3.51, and the highest splitter use rate among starters in the MLB being 42.5%.

Cobb made his MLB debut in 2011 for the Tampa Bay Rays, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2006 MLB Draft. Before joining the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, he played for the Rays from 2011 to 2017, the Baltimore Orioles from 2018 to 2020, and the Rays from 2011 to 2017.