CLEVELAND — Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes combined with reliever Josh Hader to pitch baseball’s record ninth no-hitter this season, breaking a mark set when pitchers began throwing overhand in 1884 as the Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0 on Saturday night.

Burnes (10-4) struck out 14 with 115 pitches over eight innings, taking a perfect game into the seventh while overpowering the Indians, who were no-hit for a record third time in 2021. All of those came with Zach Plesac on the mound as their starting pitcher.

“Anyone would want to keep pitching in that situation, but if there was anyone I would want out there for the ninth, it would be Josh Hader,” Burnes said. “There were no nerves with him. It was more like a done deal when he came in.”

The right-handed Burnes was in control from the start, striking out 11 of his first 14 hitters and retiring the first 18 in order. After walking Myles Straw to start the seventh, the 26-year-old got through the eighth thanks to a diving catch by center fielder Lorenzo Cain.

“I was definitely on my horse, ready to go get that one,” Cain said. “You need a little bit of everything to go right in a no-hitter.”

The Progressive Field crowd booed as Hader came on in the ninth. He overpowered Oscar Mercado, striking him out to start the inning. Then, first baseman Jace Peterson went into foul territory to making a lunging catch for the second out.

Hader ended the no-hitter by getting Straw to flail at a pitch in the dirt. The Brewers stormed the field to share hugs and high-fives with a signature victory in their runaway season.

“To share that with Josh was obviously awesome,” Burnes said. “He was the first guy I congratulated.”

Juan Nieves pitched the Brewers’ previous no-hitter on April 15, 1987, at Baltimore.

Burnes dropped his ERA to 2.25 and has more than doubled his career high for strikeouts with 210 in 152 innings. He’s been vying with Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler and the Dodgers’ Max Scherzer for the NL Cy Young Award. This gem, no doubt, will have some sway with voters.

“It was a masterpiece,” Milwaukee Manager Craig Counsell said. “Corbin felt good after the eighth, but knowing you’re putting in Josh Hader to finish it played a part in the decision.”

The Brewers improved to a franchise-record 33 games over .500 while slimming their magic number to clinch the division to eight.

Arizona rookie Tyler Gilbert had thrown the majors’ most recent no-hitter on Aug. 14, and the Chicago Cubs threw the only previous combined effort on June 24. The other no-hitters this season were thrown by San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (April 9), Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox (April 14), Cincinnati’s Wade Miley (May 7), Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull (May 18) and the Yankees’ Corey Kluber (May 19).

The no-hitters by Miley and Rodón both came against the Indians, as did a seven-inning no-hitter by Tampa Bay on July 7 that didn’t officially count in the Major League Baseball record book. Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner also had a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader at Atlanta on April 25.

The Brewers completed this bit of history three days after Minnesota rookie Joe Ryan retired the first 19 Indians batters in a 3-0 win at Progressive Field.

Plesac couldn’t get his head around being on the wrong side of three no-hitters. Prior to Saturday, Jim Perry was the only starter in baseball history to have his opponent throw a no-hitter three times in a career prior.

“I don’t even know if that makes sense to me,” Plesac said. “That’s insane. I don’t know if it’s me or what.”

Plesac allowed three runs, two earned, over six innings.

The Brewers scored twice in the first inning on an RBI double by Christian Yelich and a sacrifice fly from Omar Narváez. Milwaukee made it 3-0 in the second when Rowdy Tellez doubled home Daniel Vogelbach.