Sanchez pitched the first no-hitter in the majors since Carlos Zambrano for the Chicago Cubs against the Houston Astros in Milwaukee on Sept. 14, 2008. That game was relocated from Houston to Miller Park because of Hurricane Ike.

Sanchez’s father and friend stood nervously — with the rest of the crowd of 30,298 at AT&T Park on a cool night in the Bay Area — and his dad couldn’t look at the end. But Sanchez’s dad quickly got down to the dugout to congratulate a pitcher who made his 51st major league start the most special of his career after months of struggles.

“Felicidades!” — congratulations — fans yelled in the tunnel outside the San Francisco clubhouse as Sanchez signed autographs.

Cabrera, the last batter of the game, squared to bunt on the first pitch — bringing a chorus of boos from the crowd. Sanchez then froze Cabrera with a breaking ball, setting a career-high with his 11th strikeout. Cabrera protested the call, looking at plate umpire Brian Runge in disbelief.

“On film he throws the ball hard, but it looks like he doesn’t know where it’s going,” San Diego’s Tony Gwynn Jr. said. “Today he looked exactly like he knew where it was going.”

Sanchez finished the Giants’ major league-leading 13th shutout of the year, following All-Star and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum’s no-hit bid into the seventh inning a night earlier against San Diego.

“I think if you looked at the staff, he wouldn’t be the one you picked,” Bochy said. “He came out throwing 94-96 (mph). He just had incredible stuff.”

The last no-hitter in San Francisco was pitched by Florida’s Kevin Brown on June 10, 1997, at Candlestick Park — so this was the first at the Giants’ 10-year-old waterfront ballpark.

Pablo Sandoval hit a three-run homer to center off Josh Banks (1-1) in the fifth. Rowand also had three RBIs.

Uribe and Whiteside had RBI singles in a four-run second inning. Rowand added a two-run single.

Whiteside started in place of regular catcher Bengie Molina, whose wife went into labor Friday.

Notes: It was the first no-hitter by a Giants lefty since Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell pitched one for the New York Giants against Pittsburgh on May 8, 1929. ... A 27th-round draft pick in 2004, Sanchez pitched four no-hitters in college for NAIA Ohio Dominican.

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