Sunday's game between the Nationals and the Cardinals was as close to historic as possible. Ramon Ortiz went 8 innings without yielding a hit. The no-hit bid was broken up in the 9th by Cardinals' shortstop Aaron Miles. This got me to thinking about pitching a no-hitter compared to hitting for the cycle. I think it's much harder to throw a no-hitter because so many factors come into play. As a pitcher, first of all you've got to have good stamina and control for entire game. Plus there is so much pressure on pitchers. If they walk a batter then tension intensifies, especially in late innings.
On the other side of the coin, hitting for the cycle is easier because players usually have 4-5 at-bats and can learn more about how to hit a certain pitcher further into the game. The fact that there is no real strain if they don't get a double, triple, single, or even homerun to complete this feat relieves any pressure from a batter. It also helps tremendously if a player is fast. The only major obstacle a player really has to overcome is being walked in light of getting another hit.
For a pitcher trying to achieve a record-breaking performance they have to be concerned with pitch counts and mechanics. If something suddenly starts nagging their arm the hitless streak could very well be in jeopardy. You never know what's going to happen at the mound late in a game. The best thing a pitcher can do is not think what they're on the verge of accomplishing, but put their full concentration on pitching. That's much easier said than done of course. I don't care what everyone says, it's a rarity these days to complete a no-hitter compared to hitting for the cycle.
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