"They can't say it anymore" - Blake Snell silences doubters with fiery comeback after historic no-hitter performance

Two-time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell etched his name into San Francisco Giants history after shutting out the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Snell also had a stern statement for his critics following his remarkable outing.

The reigning NL Cy Young winner, who was acquired by the Giants after a lengthy free agency, went beyond the eighth inning for the first time in his career. He went on to register a complete game, going the full nine innings with 114 pitches in his first no-hitter of his career.

Snell came close to achieving a no-hitter on two occasions in his career, once against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 and once against the Colorado Rockies last season. However, it ended in a seven-inning shutout performance on both occasions due to the high pitch count.

He finally claimed his first career no-hitter on Friday and had a few strong words for his naysayers after earning his first win for the Giants:

"They can't say it anymore. You know? Complete game, shutout, no-hitter. Leave me alone. 'He doesn't go into the 9th. He doesn't go into the 8th.' Just did it. Leave me alone," Snell said.

Blake Snell became the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, behind the Houston Astros' Ronel Blanco and San Diego Padres' Dylan Cease. He also became the first Giants pitcher to the accolade since Chris Heston in 2015.

Giants manager Bob Melvin was nervous for Blake Snell

Snell grew confident in his pursuit of a no-hitter after going past the eighth inning for the first time in his MLB career. However, the same could not be said for Giants manager Bob Melvin, who saw Snell miss out on a no-hitter during his Padres stint:

“That’s as nervous as I’ve been in a long time,” Melvin said. “I wanted that for him so bad. If anybody has the stuff to throw a no-hitter, it’s Blake Snell. It finally came through. Pitched nine innings of no-hit ball. He’s got that feather in his cap, which is pretty cool.”

Although the Cincinnati Reds were on the receiving end of a masterful performance from the Giants ace, manager David Bell praised Snell for his incredible accolade on Friday:

“A special night for him,” Bell said. “He was really good. We tried to lock in, get ahead and be ready to hit. He had great stuff. He pitched a really incredible game.”

Remarkably, both Giants starters – Logan Webb and Blake Snell – have shut out their opponents in back-to-back games following Webb's shut out of the Oakland Athletics. Webb did not concede a single run in his nine innings pitched in a 1-0 win at Oracle Park on Wednesday.