​Free of charge for the discerning reader.Happy birthday to Chris Denorfia, and a mighty host of others.Today in baseball history, in 1973, California Angels ace Nolan Ryan hurls his second no-hitter of the season in taming the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. Ryan fans 17 batters, the most ever in a nine-inning no-hitter, including eight straight, but only one over the last two innings. Nolan’s arm stiffens while watching his team rally for five runs in the top of the eighth. With two outs in the ninth, Norm Cash, who struck out his three other times at bat, comes to bat wielding a piano leg. Umpire Ron Luciano points out the illegality and Cash then pops out using a regulation bat. Ryan’s eight strikeouts in a row ties the American League record he set last year, and other stories as well.Today in baseball history:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement1901 – Christy Mathewson, 22 years old, of the New York Giants pitches a no-hitter, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, at League Park. Matty saves his own no-hitter in the sixth when an Otto Krueger hit caroms off 1B John Ganzel‘s glove to Mathewson, who throws back to first base for a 3-1-3 putout.1909 – Ty Cobb has two inside-the-park homers to lead the Detroit Tigers to a sweep of the Washington Nationals.1920 – Babe Ruth ties his 1919 record of 29 home runs with a game-winner in the 13th to beat the St. Louis Browns, 13-10. Two days later, he will break it by hitting two off Chicago White Sox P Dickie Kerr.1921 – NY Yankees slugger Babe Ruth ties MLB record of 138 career home runs (held by Roger Connor since 1895) in a 7-2 win over St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.1960 – San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey‘s “invisible triple” causes umpire Frank Dascoli to call a twenty-four minute fog delay at Candlestick Park, but the Los Angeles Dodgers go on to win, 5-3.1960 – Brooks Robinson goes 5 for 5, hitting for the cycle, to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. With three hits yesterday, Robinson has eight straight hits. His ninth-inning triple off reliever Turk Lown seals the win for Milt Pappas over starter Billy Pierce.1973 – MLB San Francisco Giant Willie McCovey becomes 15th to hit 400 home runs, this one at Candlestick Park against Pittsburgh Pirate’s Bob Moose.1980 – In an 11-7 Cincinnati Reds win over the Montreal Expos, Johnny Bench belts homer No. 314, establishing a new mark for home runs by a catcher, and No. 347 overall. The round tripper comes off David Palmer. Bench breaks Yogi Berra‘s record and will hold the mark until surpassed by Mike Piazza.1993 – Breaking Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks‘ previous record of 277, Cal Ripken hits his 278th homer as a shortstop, the most ever hit by a major leaguer playing that position.2022 – In his last start before the All-Star break, veteran Clayton Kershaw is b