The Closer: Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing

Notes from a day in baseball:

• 1. Anibal the Cannibal. It happens every year: Like a bad meal at a seafood restaurant, the Marlins have a way of sneaking up on you. On Wednesday it was rookie Anibal Sanchez hurling a no-hitter — the first in the majors since 2004 — as Florida beat the Diamondbacks 2-0. The majors had gone 6,364 games between no-hitters, the longest drought in history. So, Marlins in the playoffs? Inevitable, we suppose. For the record, this was his 15th lifetime start.

• 2. I Wanna Be A Pinstripe Hero. Ironically, the last person to throw a no-hitter in the majors, Randy Johnson, also flirted with one on Wednesday, before losing it in the seventh. Johnson threw a perfect game for Arizona against Atlanta in May 2004. On Wednesday, his Yankees beat the Royals 8-3.

• 3. It's Alive! Thanks to J ose Contreras (eight innings for the win) and Jim Thome (4-for-4), the White Sox stomped the Red Sox 8-1, as Chicago moved within a half game of the Twins for the wild card, and four behind the Tigers for the AL Central lead.

• 4. Mission Accomplished. With his parents in attendance, rookie Paul McAnulty hit his first career homer to win it in the 11th for the Padres, 2-0, over the Rockies. San Diego is one game behind LA for the NL West lead.

• 5. The Tigers Giveth, The Tigers Taketh Away. Seattle beat Detroit 5-4 on Kenji Johjima's run-scoring single in the 10th, a hit so dramatic that it caused Detroit to cut Dmitri Young. The Tigers have lost 19 of 28 games.

• 6. Jason Isringhausen. Uh, we think it's probably time for a new Cardinals closer now. Just a suggestion. Don't mean to blow your mind.