Lowe Throws No-Hitter for Red Sox

AP ^ | 4-27-2002

[Cagey]

BOSTON (AP) - Derek Lowe, who couldn't keep his job as a closer, pitched the first no-hitter at Fenway Park since 1965, leading the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-0 Saturday.

Lowe, was six outs short of a no-hitter in his first start of the season on April 5 at Baltimore, allowed only one runner - a walk to Brent Abernathy leading off the third inning.

The Devil Rays were held hitless for the first time in their five-season history. The closest they came to a hit was on Steve Cox's liner that right fielder Trot Nixon caught on the run in the fourth.

The last no-hitter at Fenway was by Red Sox right-hander Dave Morehead on Sept. 16, 1965. Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees was one strike away from a perfect game at Fenway last Sept. 2 before pinch-hitter Carl Everett singled.

Lowe struck out six. He breezed through the ninth, retiring Russ Johnson on a soft liner, getting Felix Escalona on a fly ball and wrapping it up with Jason Tyner's easy grounder to second baseman Rey Sanchez.

After the final out, Lowe hugged third baseman Shea Hillenbrand, and then was surrounded by teammates as the sellout crowd of 32,837 cheered. He waved his hat to the fans several times as he walked to the dugout.

Fans at the NHL playoff game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens rose to a standing ovation when news of Lowe's feat was put on the FleetCenter video board.

Hideo Nomo pitched the last no-hitter for the Red Sox, on April 4, 2001, at Baltimore.

Lowe (4-1) struggled as Boston's closer last year before being moved into the rotation in September.

The 28-year-old righty has done well in his new role - obviously.

[BluesDuke]

I think my poor Phillies - bless their hearts - have some pitchers on their roster..... I'm sure they must.... isn't having pitchers on the roster a requirement???? :-(

Oh, the Phillies have some pitchers. The trouble is when they have to go to the bullpen. Based on my reading of their performance with men on base when the relievers come in, the Phillies are basically getting killed. I was working on a way to calculate the values of a bullpen's performance with inherited runs, and the Phillies turned out through 21 April stranding barely an inherited run per bullpen appearance in such instances, while giving up an average of two - leaving them about .35 below the league average (only the Colorado Rockies bullpen comes out worse, over a point below the league average).

[BluesDuke]

Or, how about Reggie Jackson, who hit the actual game winning home run? Then again, I still can't forget a certain slop curve to Tony Perez in the seventh game of the 1975 Series, either...

[NYCVirago]

Am I the only one who's thinking of "the Derek Lowe face" now -- to wit, the face he would make after blowing a save? Bill Simmons, the coiner of that phrase, must be happy tonight!

[NYCVirago]

Lilly of the Yankees pitched a one-hitter and lost, but Pedro Astacio of the Mets pitched a one hitter and won today. Weird coincidence.

[BostonGuy]

Yup, I remembered that. It sure was nice to see the New Derek Lowe face - I've rarely seen someone so genuinely happy. And he was *extremely* humble to boot - kept talking about how glad he was to have given the fans a reason to get behind him. Class act.

[angcat]

all i remember about 75 was fisk, i was too young...hehehe but really i am yankee fan since i was 9, but i was in love with carlton fisk when i was 11 i have a whole photo album of him, i still have it. very bizzare crush it was. it lasted for years.............now he is too old for me............... :)

[Teacher317]

I was very happy that ESPN broke into a broadcast of a "World's Strongest Man" competition (hey, I left the TV on when I started FReepin'!) to show him pitch the ninth inning. A walk to lead off the third was the only thing that kept this from being a perfect game. Yahoo had posted an article about Lowe's great start this year a few hours before the game, and said he was the man to watch this year... I bet that author is feeling prescient right about now! =^)

[E Rocc]

I managed to grab Derek in just about every fantasy league I'm in...as a relief pitcher in one. I finally won a game in that league. >:o

-Eric

[rohry]

When Sullivan(?) started letting the the best go to save the $, I gave up...(Don the "mis-manager" didn't help either).

I'm reading this thread long after you wrote your reply, but I need to correct something.

Nothinnew was right about a Sullivan letting Fisk, Freddie Lynn and, Luis Tiant and Burleson go for lesser payed people. Haywood Sullivan was a friend of the Yawkey's and put together a bunch of investors to buy th Sox after Tom Yawkey died. One of his partners was Buddy Leroux, the other was Jeanne Yawkey. Sullivan made himself General Manager in 1976. He lasted until 1983 or '84 when he was replaced by Lou "and now its time for lunch" Gorman.