Mark Thurmond’s feet were sore the morning of this date — April 30 — in 1986. He promised his wife, Deborah, he’d throw a no-hitter if she rubbed them down before he left for Jack Murphy Stadium.
He lied. Barely.
Willie McGee’s seventh-inning blooper was all that stood between Thurmond and the milestone in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, a feat that still eludes the team.
Padres pitchers have completed a one-hitter 30 times in the franchise’s 51 seasons. The organization remains the lone team in Major League Baseball without a no-hitter, although Thurmond was as close as anyone as he chased the third and final shutout of his career.