Cincinnati pitcher Wade Miley is congratulated by catcher Tucker Barnhart after pitching a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. Tony Dejak/Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Wade Miley pitched baseball’s second no-hitter in three days – and fourth already this season – leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 win Friday night over the Cleveland Indians, who were no-hit for the second time in a month.
Miley (4-2) relied on breaking pitches and his experience of 11-plus major league seasons to baffle the Indians and throw Cincinnati’s first no-hitter since Homer Bailey in 2013.
“It feels surreal,” the 34-year-old said.
The left-hander shook off an 83-minute rain delay to start the game and followed Baltimore’s John Means, who no-hit Seattle on Wednesday, to continue an early run of pitching gems in 2021 – quickly becoming the Year of the No-No.
San Diego’s Joe Musgrove started the ’21 no-hitter club by throwing the first in Padres’ history on April 9. Five days later, Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodón blanked the Indians, just missing a perfect game when he hit a batter in the ninth inning.
Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta on April 25, but that one isn’t recognized as official because it didn’t go nine innings.
This is the earliest in a calendar year there have been four no-hitters since 1917, when the fourth was thrown on May 5 and the fifth on May 6. It’s no wonder, with hitters entering Friday batting a record-low .233 this season.
For their part, the Indians joined a dubious list by becoming the 16th team to be no-hit twice in the same season. It most recently happened to Seattle in 2019.
Miley walked one and struck out eight on 114 pitches.
“He put on a clinic,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said.
While Miley was blanking the Indians, Zach Plesac did the same to the Reds for eight innings before Cincinnati pushed three runs across in the ninth, helped by closer Emmanuel Clase’s throwing error and a balk.
The Reds got a pair of singles before Clase (2-1) fielded an infield tapper and threw wide of second base, allowing Nick Senzel to score from second. Then, with runners at the corners, Clase began his windup before stopping and tried to throw to second.
Mike Moustakas followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 and give Miley more cushion.
NATIONALS 11, YANKEES 4: Washington burst ahead in a six-run eighth inning that included three errors and Josh Harrison’s three-run homer, stopping a three-game skid with a win in New York.
With the score tied at 3 on a chilly night, Yadiel Hernandez lined a single against Jonathan Loaisiga (3-2) that right fielder Aaron Judge allowed to bounced off his glove for his first error since Sept. 30, 2018.
Victor Robles followed with a sacrifice bunt up the third-base line and reached when DJ LeMahieu threw wide of first.
Trea Turner hit a go-ahead single and Harrison drove a 1-0 fastball into the left-field stands for a 7-3 lead.
ASTROS 10, BLUE JAYS 4: Yuli Gurriel homered and tied a career high with four hits while driving in four runs to lead the Houston to a win at home.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CUBS 3, PIRATES 2: Zach Davies allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings, Rex Brothers got his first save in eight years and Chicago won at home, extending its winning streak to four.
Joc Pederson had three hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who were coming off a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Javier Baez and David Bote had two hits each.
Chicago got back to .500 at 16-16.
Pittsburgh has lost seven of eight and is last in the NL Central at 13-18. The Pirates have six runs in their last five games.
Davies (2-2), acquired from San Diego in a seven-player deal in December, had his best outing for the Cubs on a chilly day at Wrigley Field, with the wind blowing in. The slender right-hander limited the Pirates to five singles while walking one and hitting a batter, lowering his ERA from 8.22 ERA to 6.30.
PHILLIES 12, BRAVES 2: Odubel Herrera hit a three-run homer in Philadelphia’s six-run first inning and the streaking Phillies won in Atlanta in their top-scoring game this season.
MARLINS 6, BREWERS 1: Isan Diaz hit his first career grand slam and Miami won at home.
Miguel Rojas had two hits and scored three times for the Marlins, who have won four straight.
Milwaukee lost its sixth straight and fell to 0-5 on its seven-game road trip.
CARDINALS 5, ROCKIES 0: Jack Flaherty hit his first career home run and became the major leagues’ first six-game winner, leading St. Louis to a win at home.
METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4: Francisco Lindor hit a tying, two-run homer in the seventh inning after an apparently heated exchange with teammate Jeff McNeil in the dugout tunnel, and New York rallied for a win at home.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MARINERS 5, RANGERS 4: Mitch Haniger had a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning and Seattle won at Texas.
WHITE SOX 3, ROYALS 0: Carlos Rodon struck out eight in six innings, Zack Collins homered and visiting Chicago dealt Kansas City its sixth straight loss.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
