Fans reminded baseball was more fun with steroids, performance-enhancing drugs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — While Matt Garza briefly basked in the glory of pitching the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history Monday night, he was quickly reminded of a grim truth.

“I just can’t believe I did it,” Garza said. “But when I remember that the batters I face now have to rely on sheer athleticism instead of performance-enhancing drugs, it brings me back down to Earth.”

Garza’s gem was Major League Baseball’s fifth no-hitter this season, and helped atone for the two perfect games that have been pitched against the Rays since July 2009.

“That was really the No. 1 thing on my mind the entire game, was wanting people to remember the Rays for something other than being an AL East division lightweight,” Garza said. “I mean, making it to the World Series that one year helped, but hey, we’ll take any help we can get.”

Later, when told that the Orioles were still in the American League East, Garza let out a celebratory yell and exchanged high fives with teammates.