Milwaukee Brewers’ "Hidden No-Hitters": The Secret Streaks You Didn’t Know About

Published: August 23, 2026 | Team: Milwaukee Brewers

What Is a "Hidden No-Hitter"? (ELI5 Explanation)

Imagine a pitcher who doesn’t allow a single hit—not for one game, but across multiple games in a row. That’s a "hidden no-hitter."

In baseball, a regular no-hitter happens when a pitcher (or a few pitchers together) finishes an entire 9-inning game without giving up any hits. It’s rare and famous.

A hidden no-hitter is different:

• It spans several appearances (games).
• The pitcher might throw 1–2 innings at a time (common for relievers).
• They string together 9+ innings without a hit—the same length as a full game—but it’s "hidden" because it’s split across dates.
• Walks, hit batters, and errors don’t count as hits. Only a clean single, double, triple, or home run breaks the streak.

Think of it like this: A regular no-hitter is running a marathon in one go. A hidden no-hitter is running a marathon split into 1-mile chunks over two weeks. Both cover 26.2 miles—just on different schedules.

Trevor Megill’s Recent Masterpiece (2026)

Streak: 10⅔ hitless innings | Dates: Early August → August 21, 2026
Role: Relief pitcher (closer/setup man)
The only baserunner: An intentional walk in San Diego (extra innings, automatic runner on base—strategy to set up a double play).

How it ended: Mike Yastrzemski (Atlanta Braves) singled with two outs on August 21.
The very next game: Megill struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. with the tying run on second base to seal a 2–1 win.

Why it matters: This is one of the longest hitless streaks by a reliever in Brewers history—and it happened this season.

The All-Time Brewers "Hidden No-Hitter" Leaderboard

Below are every Brewers pitcher who strung together 9+ hitless innings across multiple games. They’re ranked by streak length (longest first).

1. Josh Hader — 12 innings (2019)

• Role: Elite reliever (often pitched 1–2 innings per outing)
• Span: 10 appearances, mostly in June
• Stats during streak: 7 saves, 0 hits allowed
• Fun fact: Hader did this twice (see #2). He’s arguably the most dominant reliever in franchise history.

2. Josh Hader — 11⅔ innings (2020)

• Season context: Shortened 60-game season (COVID-19)
• Start: First 12 appearances of the year—no hits allowed
• Ended by: A double, then a wild pitch + walk-off single by César Hernández (Cleveland)
• Final 2020 ERA: 3.79 (hard to judge—only 21 games)
• Irony: His teammate Devin Williams won NL Reliever of the Year that year (see #6).

3. Derrick Turnbow — 11⅓ innings (2005)

• Dates: April 12 → May 5
• Stats: 13 strikeouts, 6 walks, 1 hit batter, 2 wild pitches ("an adventure")
• Streak breaker: Home run by Aramis Ramírez (future Brewer) vs. Cubs
• That 2005 season: 39 saves, 1.74 ERA, All-Star selection
• Bonus: Made All-Star team again in 2016.

4. Teddy Higuera — 11⅓ innings + another 10⅔ innings (1987)

Two separate streaks in one legendary season!

First streak (11⅓ IP):

• Started with final 3⅔ innings of a 10-inning 1–0 win vs. Cleveland (Aug 26)
• That game ended Paul Molitor’s 39-game hitting streak (walk-off by Rick Manning)
• Next start: 7⅔ hitless vs. Kansas City before Ross Jones tripled → finished with a one-hitter
• Total: 11 strikeouts, 2 walks

Second streak (10⅔ IP):

• Next start (Sept 6): 7 hitless innings (started on a line-drive double play) → two-hit shutout
• Following start: 3⅔ more hitless before Alan Trammell singled
• Total: 10 strikeouts, 3 walks
• Result: Brewers won both games; Higuera threw complete games.

Context: Higuera also set the club record for 32 straight scoreless innings in 1987.

5. Corbin Burnes — 11 innings (2021)

• Highlight: 8 no-hit innings vs. Cleveland (Sept 11) + Josh Hader finished the 9th = official combined no-hitter (2nd in Brewers history)
• Streak math: Last 3 outs of previous start + 8 innings vs. CLE + first 2 innings of next start
• Breaker: Justin Steele (Cubs pitcher!) singled
• Streak stats: 19 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 hit batter
• Award: Won NL Cy Young that year.

6. Devin Williams — 10⅔ innings (2020)

• Nickname: "The Airbender" (for his insane changeup)
• Span: 8 straight hitless outings (9⅓ IP) from Aug 16 → Sept 5
• Stretch stats: 20 strikeouts, 2 walks
• Extended streak: +1 strikeout before + 1 after = 10⅔ IP before Kris Bryant triple
• Then: Struck out Anthony Rizzo to end the inning
• Final 2020 line: 0.33 ERA in 27 innings → NL Reliever of the Year + Rookie of the Year

7. Bill Krueger — 10⅔ innings (1989)

• Surprise name! Not a star, but a savvy veteran
• How it happened: Three long relief outings in August
• Rocky start: Allowed 4 runs in 3rd inning vs. Detroit (6–1 deficit)
• Then locked in: Final 4⅓ IP hitless that day + 4 IP hitless vs. Boston (10 days later) + 2⅓ IP hitless vs. Toronto
• Total: 12 strikeouts, 2 walks across the three appearances.

8. Tyler Thornburg — 10 innings (2016)

• Peak season: 2016 was his breakout year
• Streak: 11 games, May 14 → June 7
• Stats: 11 strikeouts, 2 walks
• Other streaks that year: Also had 8⅔ and 8⅓ hitless stretches
• Trade: Dealt to Boston that winter (return: Mauricio Dubón + Travis Shaw)
• Sadly: Injuries derailed his career afterward.
• Trivia: His streak started vs. Padres in an extra-inning loss where Carlos Villanueva (see #9) got the save for San Diego.

9. Carlos Villanueva — 10 innings (2009)

• Role: Middle reliever (flexible, multi-inning guy)
• Span: 9 games, May 18 → June 6
• Started with a bang: 4 straight strikeouts after a leadoff single vs. St. Louis
• Overall: 1 walk, 17 strikeouts, 3 holds, 1 win
• Connection: He was the Padres closer who beat Thornburg in the game that started Thornburg’s streak (#8). Small world!

10. Odell Jones — 9⅔ innings (1988)

• Emergency call: Teddy Higuera left with a back injury after 1 inning (May 23)
• Jones, age 35, threw 5 innings of relief, last 1⅓ hitless
• Next game: First start since 1981 (!) vs. Cleveland
• Took a no-hitter into the 9th → Ron Washington single with 1 out
• Dan Plesac came in to finish
• Closest call: This is the nearest any Brewer came to a complete-game solo no-hitter besides Juan Nieves (1987)
• Career note: Started only one more game that year (and ever).

11. Francisco Rodríguez ("K-Rod") — 9⅓ innings (2012)

• Veteran closer with a violent delivery
• Span: Aug 12 → Aug 30
• Stats: 10 strikeouts, 2 walks
• Dramatic end: Entered leading 11–9 vs. Cubs, struck out first batter, then next 5 batters reached → Alfonso Soriano walk-off single.
• Ouch.

12. John Axford — 9⅓ innings (2010)

• Bearded closer fan favorite
• Span: Aug 28 → Sept 25
• Stats: 12 strikeouts, 3 saves
• Streak started in a game where Lorenzo Cain (future star) drove in the winning run in the 9th.

13. Chase Anderson — 9 innings (2016)

• Starter (not a reliever)
• Span: Just over 2 starts
• Start: Finished Miami start with 6 straight outs (began on a sacrifice fly)
• Next start: 7 no-hit innings vs. Cubs → Ben Zobrist double leading off 8th
• Note: Starters rarely get "hidden no-hitters" because they pitch deeper per game—this was essentially 1.5 dominant starts.

14. Lary Sorensen — 9 innings (1979)

• Old-school starter
• July 5 vs. Yankees: Took no-hitter into 8th inning → Chris Chambliss single with 1 out
• Finished with 2-hitter, 3–0 win
• Previous outing: 1⅓ scoreless vs. Seattle → combined for exactly 9 hitless innings.

15. Joel Payamps — 9 innings (2024)

• Under-the-radar reliever
• August streak: 8 appearances, 7⅔ IP, 0 hits
• Extended: +2 outs before + 2 outs after = exactly 9 IP
• Breaker: Masyn Winn (Cardinals) single
• 2024 legacy: Sadly remembered more for not covering 1st base in a crucial playoff play vs. Mets.

Quick Comparison Table

Important Takeaways

Hidden no-hitters show consistency, not just one-night magic.
Relievers dominate this list—they pitch shorter bursts more often.
Hader & Higuera are the only ones with TWO 10+ inning streaks.
Some names (Krueger, Jones, Payamps) are surprises—greatness isn’t always famous.
Megill’s 2025 streak puts him in elite company—and he’s still active!

Summary

The Milwaukee Brewers have a rich, quirky history of pitchers stringing together 9+ hitless innings across multiple games—what fans call "hidden no-hitters." From Josh Hader’s 12-inning masterpiece to Teddy Higuera’s twin streaks during a record-setting 1987, to Trevor Megill’s recent 10⅔-inning dominance, these streaks highlight sustained excellence. They include Hall-of-Fame caliber arms (Hader, Burnes, Williams), one-hit wonders (Krueger, Jones, Payamps), and dramatic endings (walk-offs, future Brewers hitting homers). While they don’t go in the official record book like a single-game no-hitter, they reveal something special: day-after-day, inning-after-inning unhittability.

FAQ

What exactly counts as a "hidden no-hitter"?
It’s an unofficial term for when a pitcher throws 9 or more consecutive innings without allowing a hit across multiple games. Walks, hit batters, and errors don’t break it—only a hit (single, double, triple, HR) does.

Why are most of these pitchers relievers?
Relievers typically pitch 1–2 innings per game, so it takes 5–10 appearances to reach 9 innings. Starters pitch 6–7 innings per start, so a 9-inning hitless streak for them is just 1.5 great starts—less "hidden," more just "dominant."

Is this an official MLB record?
No. MLB tracks single-game no-hitters officially. "Hidden no-hitters" are a fun stat tracked by historians, beat writers, and fans—but they don’t appear in the record book.

Who has the longest hidden no-hitter in Brewers history?
Josh Hader (12 innings, 2019). He’s also the only pitcher with two streaks of 11+ innings (2019 & 2020).

Could Trevor Megill climb higher on this list?
Absolutely. His 10⅔ innings (as of Aug 21, 2026) already ties for 6th all-time. If he keeps pitching like this, he could challenge Hader’s 12-inning mark by season’s end.