June 15, 1963 - Juan Marichal (pictured) pitched a no-hit shutout against the Houston Colts today for a 1-0 victory that lifted the San Francisco Giants back into first place in the National League. Marichal, who broke into the majors three years ago by pitching a one-hitter against the Phillies, allowed two walks and struck out five in posting his sixth straight victory and 10th of the season. Ironically, Marichal’s last defeat came on May 11 when Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers beat the Giants with a no-hitter in Los Angeles. Willie McCovey kept Marichal’s string of outs going in the seventh inning when he raced over to his right and reached up high with both hands to snag a line smash by Carl Warwick with Bob Aspromonte on first base. It was the first no-hitter pitched by a Giant since May 8, 1929, when Carl Hubbell turned back the Pirates for the New York Giants. Hubbell, now 59, saw today’s “perfecto” by Marichal and evaluated: “His was immeasurably greater and cleaner than mine.” “Marichal pitched a masterpiece,” said the excited left-hander, now head of the San Francisco farm system. “The big thing was he didn’t have anything to work on — not a single run until the eighth. That’s what made it tougher to pitch than mine. I had runs from the first inning and won, 11-0, over Pittsburgh. In a game such as Marichal’s, the pressure was on continuously, and any little mistake he made could have cost him the game and his no-hitter. I was free of pressure because of the big lead.” Said Giant manager Alvin Dark: “Juan has pitched a lot of great games, but this has to be his greatest. The greater the pressure, the greater he is. He thrives on competition. The records show it.”Outside the dressing room after the game, a large crowd was waiting. When finally Marichal emerged, a shout went up and the scramble began for autographs. Shyly, Juan complied. Then he hurried home to his wife and baby.
