10 Best Photos from the Weekend in MLB

To no surprise, the past weekend in baseball provided some memorable moments. And the great photographers working at each major league game were there with cameras and lenses at the ready, capturing those images for posterity.

We saw two prominent retired major leaguers honored by their respective teams. There were key matchups between division rivals. A handful of teams sported throwback uniforms. Oh, and one club had its first no-hitter in franchise history.

Yep, just a typical weekend in Major League Baseball.

Here are 10 great photographs we enjoyed from the past three days in MLB. 

Johan Santana Throws the First No-Hitter in New York Mets History

There's surely no bad way to end a no-hitter, whether it's on a fly ball, groundout or strikeout.

But on a strikeout, the camera stays on the pitcher, and that's what we saw on Friday when Johan Santana got David Freese to swing and miss at strike three to clinch the first no-hitter in New York Mets franchise history. 

Of course, the focus in this particular shot is on Santana, as it should be. But we also see some of the cheering crowd in the Citi Field stands, as well as teammate David Wright running toward Santana, ready to celebrate with his teammate. 

J.A. Happ Sports the Rainbow Look for the Houston Astros

Some people have great affection for the rainbow uniforms that the Houston Astros sported in the 1970s. I am not one of them, but I can understand why there's some love for this look.

At the very least, it's distinct. No other team can say they wore these particular togs. If you're of the "be who you are" mindset preached by pundits such as ESPN's Steve Berthiaume, then maybe these uniforms are the best representation of the Astros. But I happen to like the team's current look. 

J.A. Happ certainly pitched well on Friday while wearing the rainbows, allowing three runs and five hits to the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, the Astros lineup could only score one run on Mike Leake, and Happ took a tough-luck loss. 

Two Phillies Fans Share a Smooch Before Watching Chooch

No one likes to wait out a rain delay. 

But it wasn't so bad for a couple of Phillies fans during a rain delay at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. With everyone else taking shelter in the concourse, these two had a section to themselves and a couple of umbrellas to keep them dry.

This couple probably thought they had some privacy, too. But maybe they won't mind having a nice moment between them captured in a photo. 

How About a Pregame Stretch with the Miami Marlins?

If you've ever wondered what a worm's-eye view of a pregame stretch would look like, here's a glimpse for you.

Maybe this isn't quite the angle you'd like to watch the Miami Marlins stretch from, but Getty Images' Rich Schultz was clearly feeling cheeky. 

Or maybe he'd watched The Big Lebowski the night before and had visions of The Dude's dream when he was hanging out on the field. 

Astros' Jordan Schafer Climbs Tal's Hill to Make a Catch

One of the quirkier ballpark features in the major leagues is the sloped hill in centerfield at Minute Maid Park known as "Tal's Hill." 

I can only imagine most visiting center fielders hate that thing, afraid they'll run right into an incline or fall down while trying to track down a deep drive to the deepest part of the ballpark. It's kind of amazing that no one's ever gotten hurt because of it. 

But the Astros' center fielder surely gets used to navigating the hill when traversing that part of the outfield. Jordan Schafer made it look easy, running up the hill to track down a fly ball from the Reds' Mike Costanzo on Saturday. (Schafer hates the hill, for the record.) 

Starlin Castro Dodges a Sliding Matt Cain at Second Base

The San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs wore some slick throwback uniforms during their game on Saturday. It was a "Turn Back the Century Game" at AT&T Park with both teams emulating the threads the players wore in 1912.

Starlin Castro gives us a nice look at the Cubs' 1912 uniforms in this shot. They look kind of like pajamas, don't they? 

Meanwhile, it's a bit hard to catch from this angle, but check out the striped socks Matt Cain was wearing. No wonder he allowed just one run over eight innings on Saturday. Who wouldn't play well with socks like that?

Former Mets Reliever John Franco Throws First Pitch to Son J.J.

Sunday was already going to be a special day at Citi Field for former New York Mets reliever John Franco.

The team's former closer, who racked up 276 saves with New York's National League club, was inducted into the Mets' Hall of Fame during pregame festivities.

But throwing a ceremonial first pitch to his son, J.J. had to have tied the occasion together for Franco. What a nice moment between father and son, two weeks before Father's Day. 

Marlins' Steve Cishek Shows Us a Rubber-Armed Reliever

Steve Cishek has been the Miami Marlins' best reliever this season, compiling a 1.17 ERA, 4-0 record and 24 strikeouts in 23 innings. 

One of the reasons for Cishek's success is his funky sidearm delivery, giving opposing batters a look they don't often see from a pitcher. 

But in this shot from Sunday's game against the Phillies, we see just how much of a sidearm pitcher Cishek really is. Wow—was the human arm really meant to bend like that? 

Magglio Ordonez Officially Announces His Retirement with Tigers Fans

For all intents and purposes, Magglio Ordonez was retired as a major league ballplayer. But the 15-year veteran outfielder made it official on Sunday, announcing his retirement during a ceremony at Comerica Park before the Detroit Tigers played the New York Yankees.

Ordonez actually played eight of his 15 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, but recent memory seems to hold as he's remembered as a Tiger. Perhaps it's because he had one of the most memorable home runs in postseason history, launching a three-run walkoff homer off Huston Street to put the Tigers into the 2006 World Series. 

Tigers' fans will always view Ordonez affectionately for that moment, as well as for signing with Detroit in 2005 when the team was yet to be the playoff contender it's become. He was a big part of the Tigers' revival, and fans got to thank him for that on Sunday. 

Sunset at Coors Field as Rockies Win Big over Dodgers, 13-3

Ending this photo stream with a sunset seems appropriate, doesn't it?

Coors Field often provides some great images as the sun sets in Denver. Scroll through any batch of game photos involving the Colorado Rockies playing at home and you'll often find some beautiful images of the sky above the ballpark. 

Friday night was no exception. This particular sunset may have inspired the Rockies to their best effort of the season, as they beat down the first place Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-3. 

Follow @iancass on Twitter