Nationals’ Jordan Zimmermann Throws No-Hitter to End Season (Video Highlights)

Every team wants to make the postseason, and those who do want to go in with some momentum. A win on the regular season’s final day provides a good supply of it. A no-hitter on said day, though, gives a team — and the pitcher — more than its share of momentum heading into the postseason. For the Washington Nationals and starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, that dream came true.  Zimmermann pitched a complete-game no-hitter against the Miami Marlins Sunday afternoon, and the Nationals won by the slimmest of margins, 1-0.

Steven Souza Jr. with an UNBELIEVABLE diving catch in left field ends it! A NO-HITTER FOR JORDAN ZIMMERMANN!!

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 28, 2014

It is the first no-hitter in Washington Nationals history, which dates back to 2006. The former Montreal Expos, who moved to Washington after the 2005 season, had four. As with many no-hitters in which the starting pitcher gets some defensive help, Zimmermann got tremendous help on the game’s final play from left fielder Steven Souza as the above tweet and the MLB.com video below both show.

Zimmermann (14-5, 2.66 ERA) threw 107 pitches on the afternoon. He was only two hitters away from a perfect game. A fifth-inning, two-out walk to Miami’s Justin Bour was the first base runner Zimmermann allowed.  Garrett Jones struck out in the seventh with two outs but reached when the pitch went wild. Zimmerman picked Jones off to end the inning. Zimmermann struck out 10 total Marlins on route to his 14th win of the season.

As if that was not enough, Zimmermann provided some offense by popping two hits of his own in going 2 for 3 at the plate.

Here is the final pitch to every batter Zimmermann faced in his season-ending gem, courtesy of MLB.com.

Zimmermann’s no-hitter is the fifth of 2014. The first four came from the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Josh Beckett (May 25) and Clayton Kershaw (June 18), San Francisco Giants‘ Tim Lincecum (June 25), and the Philadelphia Phillies‘ combination of Cole Hamels, Ken Giles, Jake Diekman, and Jonathan Papelbon (September 1).

The Nationals had 11 hits on the afternoon but scored only one time on Ian Desmond‘s 24th home run of the season. Henderson Alvarez (L: 14-5, 2.66) allowed the shot to suffer the loss. He allowed all 11 Marlins hits. He also struck out three and walked no one.

Congratulations to Jordan Zimmermann on pitching a no-hitter on the season’s final day. Congratulations also to the Washington Nationals, who have clinched the National League’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the N.L. playoffs. They begin their postseason trek on Friday, October 3, against the winner of Wednesday’s N.L. Wild Card game between the Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh.

What a way to end the season!

PHOTO CREDITS: Mitchell Layton, Getty Images Sport (both photos)