Carlos Carrasco needed just one more strike to complete the Indians’ first no-hitter in more than three decades. The big right-hander unleashed a slider to Rays outfielder Joey Butler and gave up a single that averted history.
Carrasco was unable to complete a no-hitter, but the pitcher settled for an overpowering one-hitter that led Cleveland to an 8-1 victory on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Butler erased Carrasco’s perfect game with a walk in the seventh inning and then dashed the righty’s bid for a no-no with an RBI single to right-center field with two outs — and an 0-2 count — in the ninth.
“Everything was great,” Carrasco said. “Everyone played good. I had my teammates, my defense. You know what? It’s most important that we won today. That’s most important.”
It was the third time this season that a no-hitter was broken up in the ninth inning, and the second time it happened with two outs. On April 9, Trevor Bauer and three Indians relievers had a no-no broken up with one out in the ninth, and on May 17, Atlanta’s Shelby Miller has his no-no broken up with two outs in the ninth.
Since 1961, there have been 40 no-hitters broken up with two outs in the ninth, but this is the first time it’s happened to the Indians during that time. Two no-hitters have been completed this season: San Francisco’s Chris Heston on June 9 and Washington’s Max Scherzer on June 20. Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is the most recent American League starter to complete a no-no, doing so on Aug. 15, 2012, against the Rays.
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