4 Astros spin magic from the mound, mix to no-hit Mariners

The Houston Astros spun the 12th no-hitter in franchise historical past, holding the Seattle Mariners hitless in a 9-Zero victory in Minute Maid Park behind 4 pitchers — beginning with Aaron Sanchez, who was making his Astros debut after going to Houston on the commerce deadline. He couldn’t have chosen a greater night time for it, because it got here on the identical night time they inducted the inaugural class of the Astros’ crew Corridor of Fame. On an evening they had been honoring greats akin to Nolan Ryan — who holds the person document of no-hitters with seven — how higher to honor him and the opposite inductees than for the present Astros to spin their very own new no-no?

Within the win, Sanchez pitched the primary six innings, adopted by relievers Will Harris, Joe Biagini — additionally making his debut as an Astro after coming over in the identical commerce with Sanchez — and Chris Devenski. They mixed to permit 4 walks in 9 innings towards the Mariners whereas holding them hitless, racking up eight strikeouts.

Sanchez got here into his first begin for Houston with a 6.07 ERA — the very best in baseball amongst pitchers qualifying for the ERA title — in his 23 begins with the Toronto Blue Jays earlier than going to Houston on the commerce deadline on July 31. He now joins a burgeoning group of veteran pitchers who skilled fast turnarounds of their fortunes as Astros, together with Charlie Morton in 2017, Gerrit Cole in 2018 and Wade Miley this season.

• Sanchez joins uncommon firm in one other method, as famous by the Elias Sports activities Bureau. There have been 4 no-hit efforts within the trendy period began by pitchers making their debut with a crew: Don Cardwell with the Cubs in 1960, Mark Langston in 1990 in a mixed no-hitter for the Angels, Wilson Alvarez in 1991 with the White Sox and Hideo Nomo in 2001 with the Purple Sox. Langston’s no-hitter was completed by Angels vet Mike Witt, so till Sanchez and Biagini contributed to this Astros no-hitter, there had by no means been a no-hitter that includes a number of pitchers making their crew debut.

2 Associated

• Sanchez got here into his Astros debut carrying a 13-decision shedding streak, the longest by any beginning pitcher since Shelby Miller misplaced 16 straight choices in 2015. Contemplate that streak totally busted. Elias experiences that’s the most consecutive choices with a loss previous to a begin of at the very least six no-hit innings in baseball’s trendy period (since 1900), topping Hoy Wilhelm’s 9 losses in 1952 and Matt Younger’s six unfold between 1991 and 1992.

• The final no-hitter thrown by the Astros was spun by Mike Fiers on Aug. 21, 2015, at house towards the Dodgers, making this simply the second no-hitter thrown at Minute Maid Park. Fiers additionally notably threw the primary no-hitter of the 2019 season earlier this yr for the Oakland A’s, the 300th in main league historical past.

• The 12 no-hitters thrown by the Astros are the second-most by any crew because the Astros entered MLB as an enlargement crew in 1962. Solely the Dodgers have extra, with 13.

• This was the 14th mixed no-hitter in MLB historical past. The Astros grew to become simply the third crew to with a number of mixed no-hitters in franchise historical past; the Angels and Orioles already had two apiece.

• For the Mariners, that is their second time they have been no-hit in a bit greater than three weeks; the final time got here towards the Angels on July 12, which was additionally a mixed no-hitter, making the Mariners the primary crew to be on the receiving finish of multiple mixed no-hitter in a single season. The final groups to be no-hit twice in the identical season had been the 2015 Mets and Dodgers.

• Elias additionally notes that the Mariners went simply 22 days between no-hitters, the seventh-shortest hole between being no-hit in MLB historical past. The document is in the future, set by the 1917 White Sox after they had been no-hit on consecutive days on Might 5 and 6.

• The Mariners had already been no-hit by mixed effort twice of their historical past, tied for probably the most in MLB historical past (with the A’s and Padres), and are actually the one crew to endure this form of defeat 3 times.

If Seattle can take solace in something, it is that in at the moment’s period of openers, pitch counts and ever-growing strikeout charges, they in all probability will not be the final.

• Different Astros inducted into the crew’s Corridor of Fame past Ryan on Saturday within the inaugural class embrace Bob Aspromonte, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Jose Cruz (Sr.), Larry Dierker, Gene Elston, Milo Hamilton, Joe Morgan, Joe Niekro, Shane Reynolds, J.R. Richard, Mike Scott, Jim Umbricht, Don Wilson and Jimmy Wynn.

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