No surprise that season’s 1st no-hitter required team effort

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

It was only a matter of time before baseball’s next no-hitter. The way it unfolded was somewhat appropriate. The New York Mets blanked Philadelphia on Friday night. And it wasn’t a sterling performance by Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom, but rather a team effort that required five pitchers and 159 pitches. That’s baseball in 2022 so far. Offense is down, so the conditions are ripe for no-hitters. But teams have been careful with starting pitchers in the aftermath of the lockout.