[Sylvanfan]

Well how often does a pitcher throw a no-hitter or perfect game and get more than 10 strikeouts or more? When a pitcher is striking a lot of guys out, I think it's an indication that he's throwing the ball hard and most hitters can't keep up with it. When a guy is throwing a no-hitter he's tricked the batters into thinking they're hitting good pitches, but like Jiggy says they're not hitting anything square and his defence is making the plays. Lets face it, if ground balls are not absolutely pounded, the defence usually makes the play and gets the out. Also if the pitcher is throwing strikes consistantly and working at a good pace the defence stays sharper mentally, and makes more plays into outs. If a pitcher is walking lot's of guys and working slower I think the defence behind him loses focus (including the catcher) and they either don't make the plays or call for the wrong pitch. Last night Derek Lowe was in the groove and getting the Yankees to hit most pitches on the ground. The defence made every play. Greg Maddux has lived like this for years.