Justin Verlander loses bid for third career no-hitter by inches in ninth inning
Just when we think Justin Verlander’s magic might be fading, he amazes us again with another near historic outing.
The 2011 American League Cy Young award winner and MVP came up literally inches short of pitching his third career no-hitter in Wednesday’s 5-0 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.
Verlander was looking to become just the fourth pitcher in MLB history to throw three or more no-hitters. It’s an exclusive club populated by only Hall of Famers — Nolan Ryan (seven), Sandy Koufax (four) and Bob Feller (three). Given the legacy Verlander is currently constructing, there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t have been the fourth Hall of Famer in that group.
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It just wasn’t meant to be on Wednesday. Chris Iannetta led off the ninth inning with a rocket down the left-field line that hit right on the line and kicked up some chalk. It was fair by literally inches. That’s all that separated Verlander from history.
This is far from Verlander’s only close call over the past few seasons. In fact, he’s been on the cusp of history several times.
In Wednesday’s bid, Verlander would go on to retire the next three batters in order to complete a one-hit shuout.
Though it doesn’t carry the same pomp and circumstance, it was still a fantastic performance. Verlander came out of the gates coasting at 94 on the radar gun and recorded just three strikeouts through the first five innings. The Angels still couldn’t square anything up and never really threatened him to that point, which allowed him to work efficiently and keep some reserves in the gas tank.
Come the sixth, that’s when Verlander decided to ramp things up, reaching a game high 97 on the radar gun when required. In the sixth and seventh inning, Verlander struck out five straight batters, including Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Trout was frozen on an 83-mph hook that dropped perfectly on the outside corner. That was easily Verlander’s best pitch of the game.
Overall, Verlander allowed just two other baserunners on walks in the third and eighth innings, but both were wiped out by double plays. Had he completed the no-hitter, it would have been the second time he’s faced the minimum number of batters in a no-no.
Simply put, this performance was vintage Justin Verlander. Though ultimately it wasn’t historic, it was a reminder that the 32-year-old right-hander is one of the best hurlers we’ve seen since the turn of the century.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
