The right stuff for a franchise first

The Rays know something about no-hitters. They've seen enough thrown against them to know what it takes to make one happen for themselves. And if that was ever going to happen, Matt Garza figured to be the one to do it.

When his stuff is working the way it can, he is as much a force of will as he is a pitcher. He has that gunslinger vibe, with a here-it-is-but-you-can't-hit-it attitude. Anyone who has watched him the past 21/2 seasons understood that if the stars aligned, Garza had the stuff to make an ordinary night into something special.

So, welcome to something special.

The stars indeed came together Monday night under the Teflon sky of Tropicana Field.

At precisely 9:47 p.m. on his 120th pitch of the evening, the destiny that always seemed to belong to Garza became reality when Detroit pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago lifted a 91 mph four-seam fastball softly into right field.

The crowd of 17,009 at the Trop, already in a roar, raised the decibel level and Rays players began jumping, pumping fists and running toward Garza. And as the ball settled into Ben Zobrist's glove, it was finally safe to say it.

Yeah, Matt Garza had the first no-hitter since the Rays came into being in 1998.

The team that had three no-hitters - including two perfect games - thrown against it in basically the past year finally had one to call its own. He earned it, facing the minimum 27 hitters. Except for a lone walk in the second inning, Garza had been perfect.

"We tried to keep it normal," first baseman Carlos Pena said. "But can you really?"

The things happening lately to Garza haven't been normal, either. Before this game, he had as many saves this month (1) as he had wins. He was 0-4 with a 5.85 ERA in six career starts against Detroit. He allowed seven runs and 10 hits in his last start - against Baltimore, for goodness sake.

"This year I've been so rocky, I'm just trying to find myself," he said in the postgame glow.

Guys will sometimes tell you after games like this that they felt something electric in the bullpen when warming up, or maybe they could tell after a couple of innings. Not this time. Garza said he felt out of sorts all night, even before the game.

"I kept having to remind myself between innings that I was mechanically off," he said.

But his teammates knew better.

"In the sixth or seventh (inning), you could feel it," designated hitter Matt Joyce said.

Yes, we can't forget Matt Joyce.

Detroit starter Max Scherzer was matching Garza no-hit for no-hit until Joyce hit a grand slam with two outs in the sixth.

Did we say the stars had aligned? That's the same Matt Joyce who was acquired from, yes, Detroit a year ago for Edwin Jackson. That's the same Edwin Jackson who threw a no-hitter against the Rays just 31 days ago. That's the same Edwin Jackson who was traded last winter to Arizona for a package of players that included - say it with me - Max Scherzer.

"Oh, believe me, we were all talking about that stuff on the bench," center fielder B.J. Upton said.

Before this night, the closest a Ray had come to a no-no was 72/3 innings. It actually happened twice - Tony Saunders and Dewon Brazelton. But even though there were three innings to navigate after Joyce's slam, an unspoken but definitely felt feeling went through the Trop that this could be the night.

The crowd began cheering as soon as the eighth inning ended. Garza needed just 13 pitches to get through the ninth.

"I ran out there and I just told myself, 'Well, we can go about this two ways. I can try not to get contact and get into trouble, or I can go at these guys,'" Garza said. "And if it happens, it happens."

It happened.

He struck out Don Kelly on a 93 mph fastball.

He struck out Gerald Laird looking.

And poor Santiago was standing in front of a speeding train headed for destiny for the final out. He had no shot.

Garza always had a shot, though. Even on a staff that includes David Price, Garza always seemed like the most likely Ray to do something like this.

Consider it done.