Two of them against the Jays.
Nice!!! Very nice!!!
Wasn’t there a no hitter earlier this year, which was a combined no hitter among the the starter and some relief pitchers? With the trend nowadays to strict pitch counts, it’s become rare to see a pitcher get a complete game nowadays.
Should give him some extra Cy Young points for this year.
Congrats! Go Astros.
Yeah, although I think he was a shoo-in even before this no-no.
His third no hitter puts in very elite company. The only pitchers who had more were Nolan Ryan (he had 7 which will never be surprised) and Sandy Koufax (4).
I caught the last couple of innings. JV had complete command and control. The dude’s 36, an age at which most pitchers are on the downside of their careers.
It was a scoreless tie right up to the ninth inning. Fans had to wonder not only whether Verlander might get the no-hitter but whether the game might go into extra innings or Verlander might actually lose it in a heartbreaker.
Rookie Abraham Toro, who grew up in Canada, belted the two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give Verlander his two-run cushion. He struck out 14 and walked just one. He needed 120 pitches.
Congrats. Mr Verlander !
Baseball is such a great game.
The veteran pitcher is dominating the game, but his offense hasn’t scored any runs to support him. If the game goes to extra innings, what does the manager do?
Verlander would be starting the 10th with 120 pitches. Does Hinch take a chance on getting Verlander hurt, ruining the Astros’ chances to advance in the postseason? Maybe, maybe not. Verlander likely guesses that if he can’t close this out in nine, there is a good chance he won’t be allowed to finish it.
Up steps Toro to the plate in the top of the 9th with two outs. In his eighth game in the majors, he may be facing the most important opportunity in his career. He is batting against former Astros pitcher Ken Giles. Toro hits a two-run homer. The only runs to be scored in the game.
And then with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Toro fields a ground ball and fires it to first for the final out of the game. Whether Toro’s career is long or short, he will never forget this game. And neither will the fans.
Yesterday, the Astros lost to the Blue Jays 6-4. And then they deliver this beauty. Each game is unique, but not many are masterpieces. If you love the game, you treasure these moments.
And he gets to go home to his love pillows.
It was incredible. Congrats to JV and to Abraham Toro, the co-hero of this game IMHO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx2iNG-BQLI