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Monday, June 16, 2014

Happy Birthday - 6/16

No future Astros with birthdays today, but one former Astro celebrates ~

RHP Ken Johnson (81)
Drafted from the Reds in the 1961 expansion draft, Johnson spent four seasons with the Colt .45s and Astros from 1962 to 1965. In 113 games (106 starts), he was 32-51 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP. According to Baseball-Reference, he didn't have the best of luck playing for the Colt .45s.
He is the only Major League pitcher to lose a nine-inning complete game no-hitter. On April 23, 1964, while with the Houston Colt .45's he was beaten 1 - 0 by the Cincinnati Reds despite having thrown a no-hitter. After eight innings of no-hit ball, in the top of the ninth, Johnson faced his counterpart, Joe Nuxhall, who grounded out to third. Then Pete Rose reached second after Johnson made an errant throw to first on a bunt. After a sacrifice to the pitcher, Rose was 90 feet from home with two outs. Vada Pinson then sent a grounder to second baseman Nellie Fox who booted it, allowing the run to score. Johnson got the next batter to fly out, but the Colt .45's couldn't score in the last of the ninth, pegging him with the loss.

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