Milwaukee Brewers’ "Hidden No-Hitters": When Pitchers Go Hitless Across Multiple Games

What Is a "Hidden No-Hitter"?

Imagine a pitcher throws a perfect game—no hits allowed—but instead of doing it in one single game, they spread it out over several games. That’s a "hidden no-hitter"!

In baseball, a regular no-hitter means a pitcher (or group of pitchers) doesn’t allow any hits in one complete game (at least 9 innings). A "hidden no-hitter" is when a pitcher strings together 9+ hitless innings across multiple appearances. It’s like a secret superpower that doesn’t show up in the official record books but shows just how dominate a pitcher was.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These streaks can include walks, hit batters, or errors—they just can’t include any hits (singles, doubles, triples, or home runs).

Trevor Megill’s Amazing 2026 Streak

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Megill just put together one of the most impressive hidden no-hitters in team history:

10⅔ consecutive hitless innings (spanning multiple games)
Only ONE baserunner allowed—an intentional walk in San Diego (a strategic move to set up a double play)
Streak ended when Mike Yastrzemski (Atlanta Braves) singled with two outs on August 21, 2026
Right after the hit, Megill struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. to end the game with the tying run in scoring position—talk about clutch!

This streak puts Megill in elite company in Brewers history.

The All-Time Brewers Hidden No-Hitter Leaderboard

Here are the pitchers with the longest hitless streaks in franchise history, ranked from longest to shortest:

1. Josh Hader — 12 innings (2019)

Role: Closer (but used in multi-inning roles that year)
Span: 10 appearances, mostly in June
Bonus: Racked up 7 saves during the streak
Fun Fact: Hader appears on this list TWICE—he’s arguably the most dominant reliever in Brewers history.

2. Josh Hader — 11⅔ innings (2020)

Span: First 12 appearances of the shortened 60-game season
Context: 2020 was a weird year (COVID-19 pandemic), but Hader was lights-out
Streak Ended: 13th appearance—double then walk-off single to César Hernández
Note: His teammate Devin Williams won NL Reliever of the Year that year instead!

3. Derrick Turnbow — 11⅓ innings (2005)

Span: April 12 – May 5
Stats: 13 strikeouts, but also 6 walks, 1 hit batter, 2 wild pitches ("an adventure")
Streak Ended: Home run by Aramis Ramírez (future Brewer!)
Season Result: 39 saves, 1.74 ERA, All-Star in 2006

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

Two separate streaks in one magical season!
First Streak: Finished a 10-inning 1-0 win vs. Cleveland, then 7⅔ hitless vs. Kansas City
Second Streak: 7 hitless to finish a shutout + 3⅔ hitless to start next start
Total Dominance: Part of a club-record 32-inning scoreless streak
Legend Status: Higuera is a Brewers icon—this just proves why.

5. Corbin Burnes — 11 innings (2021)

Context: Cy Young Award winner season
Highlight: 8 no-hit innings vs. Cleveland (Sept 11), finished by Hader for combined no-hitter (only 2nd in Brewers history)
Streak Details: 3 outs previous start + 8 innings vs. CLE + 2 innings next start
Stats: 19 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 hit batter

6. Devin Williams — 10⅔ innings (2020)

Nickname: "The Airbender" (for his crazy changeup)
Span: 8 straight hitless outings (9⅓ innings), Aug 16 – Sept 5
Insane Stat: 20 strikeouts, only 2 walks in that span
Season Line: 0.33 ERA in 27 innings — Rookie of the Year + Reliever of the Year

7. Bill Krueger — 10⅔ innings (1989)

Surprise Name: Journeyman pitcher, not a star
How He Did It: 3 extended relief appearances in August
Rocky Start: Allowed 4 runs in 1st appearance (only ⅔ inning), then settled in
Final Line: 12 strikeouts, 2 walks over 3 games

8. Tyler Thornburg — 10 innings (2016)

Breakout Year: 11 games, May 14 – June 7
Stats: 11 Ks, 2 walks
Trivia: Traded to Boston that offseason (returned Mauricio Dubón & Travis Shaw)
Sad Note: Injuries derailed his career after the trade

9. Carlos Villanueva — 10 innings (2009)

Role: Middle reliever (setup man)
Span: 9 games, May 18 – June 6
Stats: 3 holds, 1 win, 17 strikeouts, only 1 walk
Cool Start: Began streak with 4 straight strikeouts after leadoff single vs. St. Louis

10. Odell Jones — 9⅔ innings (1988)

Emergency Hero: 35-year-old pressed into duty when Higuera got hurt
Story: Hadn’t started since 1981 → threw 5 innings relief, then started next game and took no-hitter into 9th inning!
Closest Call: Ron Washington single with 1 out in 9th → Dan Plesac closed it
Fun Fact: Closest any Brewer came to a solo no-hitter before Juan Nieves (1987)

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

Span: Aug 12 – 30
Stats: 10 Ks, 2 walks
Dramatic End: Entered with 11-9 lead vs. Cubs → struck out 1st batter → next 5 batters reached → walk-off single by Alfonso Soriano

12. John Axford — 9⅓ innings (2010)

Span: Aug 28 – Sept 25
Stats: 12 strikeouts, 3 saves
Streak Started: Game where Lorenzo Cain (future star) drove in winning run in 9th

13. Chase Anderson — 9 innings (2016)

Type: Starter (spanned 2 starts)
Start: Finished Miami start with 6 straight outs (began on a sacrifice fly)
Next Start: 7 no-hit innings vs. Cubs before Ben Zobrist doubled to lead off 8th

14. Lary Sorensen — 9 innings (1979)

Old School: Took no-hitter into 8th vs. Yankees
Ended: Chris Chambliss single with 1 out in 8th
Result: Finished with 2-hitter, 3-0 win
Combo: 1⅓ hitless previous outing vs. Seattle + 7⅔ vs. NYY = 9 innings

15. Joel Payamps — 9 innings (2024)

Surprise Entry: Quiet reliever, not a household name
Span: 8 appearances (7⅔ innings) in August
Extended: + 2 outs before + 2 outs after = exactly 9 innings
Ended: Single by Cardinals’ Masyn Winn
Tough Memory: Also known for not covering 1st base in crucial playoff moment vs. Mets

Key Takeaways

Important Points to Remember

Hidden no-hitters = 9+ hitless innings across multiple games/appearances

Relievers dominate this list (Hader, Williams, Turnbow, Thornburg, etc.) because they pitch more frequently

Josh Hader is the KING — only pitcher with TWO streaks of 11+ innings

Teddy Higuera is the only starter with TWO separate streaks in one season (1987)

Corbin Burnes turned his streak into an actual combined no-hitter (rare!)

Devin Williams’ 2020 streak might be the most dominant per-inning (20 Ks, 2 BB in 9⅓ IP)

These streaks show consistency and dominance over time, not just one magical night

Summary

The Milwaukee Brewers have a rich history of pitchers going absolutely hitless for stretches longer than a full game. From legends like Teddy Higuera and Josh Hader to surprise names like Bill Krueger and Joel Payamps, these "hidden no-hitters" reveal sustained excellence that doesn’t always make the highlight reels.

Trevor Megill’s 10⅔-inning streak in 2026 joins this exclusive club, proving the Brewers’ tradition of developing elite pitching continues. Whether it’s a closer locking down saves for weeks or a starter stringing together dominant outings, these streaks represent pitching at its absolute peak—even if the record books don’t officially recognize them.

FAQ: Your Hidden No-Hitter Questions Answered

1. Why are they called "hidden" no-hitters?

Because they don’t count as official no-hitters! MLB only recognizes no-hitters thrown in a single game (minimum 9 innings). These streaks span multiple games, so they’re "hidden" in the game logs rather than celebrated in the record books.

2. Can a hidden no-hitter include walks or errors?

Yes! The only requirement is zero hits allowed. Pitchers can walk batters, hit batters, or have errors behind them—the streak continues as long as no one gets a base hit.

3. Why do relievers dominate this list?

Relievers pitch more frequently (every 1-3 days) but for fewer innings per outing. This makes it easier to string together many short, hitless appearances. Starters pitch deeper into games but only once every 5 days, so a bad inning breaks the streak faster.

4. Has any Brewer thrown an ACTUAL no-hitter during a hidden no-hitter streak?

Yes! Corbin Burnes in 2021. His 11-inning hidden no-hitter included an 8-inning no-hit start that became a combined no-hitter when Josh Hader finished the 9th. That’s the only time a hidden no-hitter contained a real no-hitter.

5. Who has the longest hidden no-hitter in MLB history (all teams)?

While this article only covers Brewers history, the MLB record belongs to Cy Young (25⅓ hitless innings in 1904) and Bob Gibson (21 innings in 1968) for starters. For relievers, Craig Kimbrel had 18⅔ innings in 2011. The Brewers’ 12-inning record (Hader) is very impressive but not the all-time best.

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