For over 50 years, the New York Mets pursued that elusive no-hitter. Johan Santana finally finished the job.

Santana pitched the first no-hitter in team history, helped by a missed call a judge and outstanding catches in left field in the 8-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

After a series of hair over the past five decades, Santana went all the way into the Mets' 8020 th game.

"And, finally, first," he said. "It's the greatest feeling ever."

He needs a few key helps remove it.

Carlos Beltran, Citi back on the field for the first time since the Mets traded him in July last year, hit the transmission to third base in the sixth inning that hit the foul line and had to be called fair. But third base, Adrian Judge Johnson ruled that it is a foul and a no-hitter was intact - though clearly showed the repeat sign, where the ball landed on the chalk line.

"I saw strikes the ball beyond the line, just foul," Johnson told the pool.

The judge acknowledged that he saw the replay, but then declined to comment.

"It was in his face, and called it foul. I thought it was a fair ball," Beltran said. "In the end, one hit is not going to make changes to the ball. We needed to score more runs and we did not do."

Place of birth of a child, Mike Baxter then made a great catch in left field to rob Yadier Molina additional bases in the seventh. Baxter hit a wall, injured his shoulder and walked out of the game.

Making his start with 11 missing last season following surgery on his shoulder, Santana (3-2) threw a career high 134 resin in its second consecutive shutout. Drawing on the hidden and incomprehensible Fastball changeup, which has always been his signature, he hit eight and walked five.

"Amazing", Santana said after throwing a specialty of the "third no-hitter this year. "Coming into this season, I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team, and now I'm in this situation to the big city for baseball."

Before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said he plans to limit Santana in the 110-115 pitches all season.

"I just could not take it," Collins said of the constrained later.

Born in 1962, the Mets have been built on pitching, when they sent their best team. But neither Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden could not throw a no-hitter on the Mets - although all three of the seven pitchers who threw one after leaving the team.

Philip Humber another. He pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox in Seattle on April 21, Jered Weaver and the Los Angeles Angels are not affected Minnesota on May 2.

After the game, Santana turned to his teammates at the club. He thanked them and said, "Yes, believe it baby!"

Santana received a warm ovation as he walked to the mound in the ninth inning, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Matt Holliday quickly resigned and Allen Craig on a fine ball to fly.

With a crowd of 27,069 on its feet in a frenzy, World Series MVP David Freese went 3-2 up on the tip of his foul was caught by Josh crutches, just the action with the disabled list earlier in the day.

Santana pumped his left fist and hit him in the glove, as shown by the plate to put up with the ball the referee, Gary Cederstrom, and then ran to the side of the mound.

"I do not think anyone expected that night. Everything went perfect for him," Beltran said. "It would mean a lot to him after the fight last year with injuries .... I'm not happy about it, but at the same time, it is a good man, and I'm happy for him."

Mets jumped out of the dugout and the raucous crowd of Santana in Dogpile as collateral solved fan who ran onto the field near home plate. Moments later, a pitcher raised his right hand and greeted the crowd, which chanted his name from the eighth inning on. A large scoreboard flashed a picture in the center of Santana and read the "No-Khan."

"It was a crazy night - my Fastball movement everywhere," said Santana. "I do not think I've never thrown a no-hitter in a video game."

The Cardinals had a hit in the sixth.

Beltran, Mets traded to San Francisco in July last year after 6 ½ years in the rugged New York, headed by a low liner to third. Television replays showed the ball nicked the foul line just for a bag of dirt, with a small piece of chalk with him. But Johnson called it a foul immediately and in the end of the Beltran grounded.

"It was tough, because it happened so fast. I could not see anything," said Santana.

"The judge made his call, and it was the end," he said.

But with the next test at the plate, Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo hit twice in the face of Johnson for heated debate - even appeared to raise two of each other. Newbie Manager Mike Matheny also came to protest, but no one was ejected.

Almost exactly two years ago - June 2, 2010 - Armando Galarraga lost a perfect game, when the first base of the referee, Jim Joyce really blew the call, which was a result of the final. Miss Detroit, and Cleveland did not give Jason Donald single with two outlets in the ninth.

Major League Baseball has considered expanding play this season, fair or foul to review calls and trapped balls. The change requires approval by MLB and the unions representing judges and players - when the agreement was not reached, additional repeat was postponed until at least 2013.

Santana flight out in the seventh, when Molina hit a drive into deep left. Baxter, who grew up rooting for the Mets in 10 minutes from Citi Field, where the stands, ran back and made a terrific catch up to full power failure in a fence.

Baxter was down the track, as a warning to the Mets coaches, players and coaches rushed to him. Santana sat in the infield with several teammates, and then took a few warm-up tosses, to remain free.

Baxter left the field under his authority, with the trainer Ray Ramirez, holding his left arm in the outfielder. Metz said Baxter has a bruised left shoulder and have more tests.

"When I saw him running back to the warning track, and he made that game, it was amazing. Outstanding game and saved the game," said Santana, the Mets traded to Minnesota before the season of 2008. "All these guys, I want to thank them for what we did."

Lucas Duda hit a three run Homer from Adam Wainwright (4-6) and drove in four runs, tying a career high. Daniel Murphy added three RBIs.

San Diego Padres, who began play in 1969, are currently the only team without a no-hitter.

Mets' endless pursuit has become something of a famous quest, at least one site dedicated to even counting the total number of games without one every day during the season.

List of pitchers who threw no-hitters after leaving the Mets and Seaver includes Ryan and Hall of Fame, and Gooden, David Cone, Mike Scott, Hideo Nomo and the Humber.

Seaver came within two outputs of a perfect game in 1969 and fell one shy of a no-hitter in 1975, the last time the Mets pitcher in the ninth made it without yielding a hit.

Game notes

Previous maximum of Santana's career was 125 steps. ... It was the eighth no-hitter besieged St. Louis, who led the NL in batting this season, and the first time since Fernando Valenzuela to Los Angeles June 29, 1990. ... Mets 3B David Wright said in a radio interview on WFAN, he will not talk to the team about a new contract before the end of the season, because he does not want his position as an entertainment for the team. Wright Salary is $ 15 million this season, and in New York has a $ 16 million in the 2013 version, which gets voided if it is sold. After that, he can become a free agent. ... Replays showed Cardinals pinch-winger Shane Robinson hit in the arm in the eighth step. He went to the first, but Cederstrom called it a ball.