The 2015 season has been a disaster for the last-place Detroit Tigers, but their fans got something to cheer about Tuesday when Daniel Norris, Buck Farmer, Ian Krol, Drew VerHagen and Neftali Feliz combined to pitch 8.1 innings of no-hit baseball during the team's 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.
As MLB on Twitter noted, Norris (who was part of the package Detroit received in exchange for David Price earlier this year) had a pitch limit in his second start since his return from the disabled list with an oblique injury.
In all, he threw 63 pitches through five perfect innings and struck out four hitters. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out Norris’ effort tied Anibal Sanchez for the longest perfect-game bid among the Tigers' starters this season and also said Norris became the fourth pitcher in the last 100 years to throw five perfect innings without finishing the contest.
Farmer, Krol and VerHagen kept the no-hitter rolling, but Feliz allowed a one-out triple to Tyler Saladino in the ninth. Adam Eaton then drove Saladino home with a single to tie the game at one. MLB shared some of the highlights from the relief pitchers before Feliz gave up the first Chicago hit:
Feliz didn't just blow the no-hitter, he blew the save. It was his sixth blown save of the year, and he boasted a 7.88 ERA with the Tigers this season entering Tuesday's game. Given those lackluster numbers, Mike Peasley of 103.3 FM ESPN in Dallas was not surprised with the final inning:
ESPN Stats & Info highlighted how difficult it has been for pitchers to complete their no-hit efforts this season compared to 2014:
Eaton tied the game in the ninth, but he also ended the combined perfect game in the seventh. Krol came on in relief and proceeded to hit Eaton, although he escaped with two flyouts and a groundout and gave way to VerHagen in the eighth. At least the Tigers won the contest in the 10th inning after Rajai Davis tripled home Anthony Gose.
Had Detroit's pitchers finished the job, it would have marked the first combined no-hitter since the Philadelphia Phillies did so against the Atlanta Braves in 2014.
ESPN Stats & Info pointed out this was not the first time Detroit had the fans on the edge of their seats entering the final inning this season. Incredibly, the Tigers could not finish the effort in any of those three contests:
The mere fact Detroit was within two outs of a combined no-hitter was surprising considering it was an abysmal 28th in the league in team ERA entering Tuesday’s game. Perhaps the staff can use the outing against the White Sox as a turning point heading into next season.
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