The radio commentators for the Astros claimed that there have been two no-hitters in a debut as a starter, with the other two coming from former relief pitchers.
i may have misread it, saw it scroll on bottom of screen on one of the espn's that he was looking to become 2nd.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110528183535AAi7EZU I don't know about 2-hitters in MLB debuts, but I would imagine Cosart is in rarified company.
probably happens more often than you think. any american league 1-0 or 2-0 or other low-scoring final score has a high probability of that occurring - even more so if the home team won the game (losing pitcher only pitching 8).
No player has ever thrown a no-hitter in their MLB debut. That Yahoo site says the pitchers respectively threw one in their 2nd and 5th appearance as pitchers (with their previous appearances as relievers).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>It's been nearly five years since a pitcher went eight or more shutout IP in his debut like Jarred Cosart tonight. He's the 57th since 1916.</p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statuses/355863808180363264">July 13, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>