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BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- In just under 2 1/2 hours, Hideo Nomo erased six weeks of frustration for Boston Red Sox fans. The Japanese righthander became just the third pitcher in the modern era to record no-hitters in both leagues, facing only three batters over the minimum in a 3-0 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles. Nomo, who as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hit the Colorado Rockies on September 17, 1996, struck out 11 and walked three. He joins Nolan Ryan and Jim Bunning as the only pitchers to throw one in each league. Cy Young threw two no-hitters for Boston in the early 1900s and another for Cleveland of the National League in 1897. "Curveballs and fastballs were my best pitches," Nomo said through interpreter Chang Lee. "(Pitching coach Joe) Kerrigan told me to concentrate on throwing first-ball strikes." "To throw a no-hitter you have to be very good and Nomo was very good tonight," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "He was ahead of a lot of hitters all night long. He went out and threw strikes and his splitter was very effective." Nomo's gem came in his first start for Boston and was the first by a Red Sox since Dave Morehead blanked Cleveland on September 16, 1965. He retired Brady Anderson on a comebacker to open the ninth, then got a stellar defensive play by second baseman Mike Lansing, who ran down Mike Bordick's blooper in short center field. "I didn't realize how far out it was," Lansing said. "I got a good jump on the ball and made the catch. I had to go all out for it." "I looked at the location of the ball and also the location of Lansing, where he was playing defense," Nomo said. "I thought he would catch it." Nomo then punctuated the earliest no-hitter by date by retiring Delino DeShields on a fly ball to shallow left field. It has been a terrible start to the season for the Red Sox, who have seen superstar shortstop Nomar Garciaparra undergo wrist surgery, prized offseason acquisition Manny Ramirez slowed by a hamstring injury and outbursts of discontent by its veteran players. While Boston needed Ramirez to bolster the offense, they hoped Nomo could step in behind ace Pedro Martinez as the team's No. 2 starter. In his Red Sox debut he was masterful, retiring the final seven batters in order. "It was special because it was my first start for the Boston team," Nomo added. "I've never seen one all the way through," Kerrigan said. "It was pretty special for me." The 1995 National League Rookie of the Year, Nomo now owns the only no-hitters in two of baseball's most hitter-friendly parks. His no-hitter at Coors is the only one in the park's seven years while no pitcher had thrown a no-hitter in the first 10 years of Camden Yards. Nomo got all the run support he needed from first baseman Brian Daubach, who hit a two-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the eighth. "It was Nomo's night," Daubach said. "He was great. He was outstanding. I got a little lucky with two first-row homers." The 32-year-old Nomo, who helped pave the way for Japanese players to compete in America with his strong rookie season, threw 69 of 110 pitches for strikes. The 15th no-hitter in Red Sox history featured few tough plays and after Lansing ran down Bordick's blooper, he only needed two pitches to retire DeShields. "I felt pretty good as I was going into the ninth inning," Nomo said. "I wasn't really nervous. ... I trusted the catcher (Jason Varitek) and followed his lead." Baltimore starter Sidney Ponson pitched well, allowing three runs -- two earned -- and four hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked only one and struck out 10. The game was delayed 43 minutes at the start due to a power outage.
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