Five weeks, four nine-inning no-hitters in MLB this season. Reds left-hander Wade Miley recorded No. 4 on Friday night.
The 34-year-old veteran zipped Cleveland 3-0 at Progressive Field after the Reds broke a scoreless tie in the top of the ninth inning. Miley struck out eight, walked one and threw 114 pitches in the effort. A double error by Reds second baseman Nick Senzel in the sixth inning accounted for Cleveland’s only other baserunner.
Miley retired Jordan Luplow for the final out. Luplow hit a slow ground ball to shortstop Kyle Farmer, who had to make an off-balance throw.
MORE: Most recent no-hitters for each MLB team
Luplow also made the final out in White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon’s no-hitter against Cleveland on April 14.
Miley’s no-hitter was the second in MLB in three days. The Orioles’ John Means no-hit the Mariners in Seattle on Wednesday. They joined Rodon and the Padres’ Joe Musgrove as official no-hit pitchers this year. The Diamondbacks’ Madison Bumgarner threw seven no-hit innings against the Braves on April 25 in Game 2 of a doubleheader. That game was scheduled for seven innings, but MLB only recognizes nine-inning no-hitters.
The last Reds no-hitter before Miley’s was Homer Bailey’s gem in 2013.
Miley retired the first 16 Cleveland batters before Senzel made two errors on one play, first bobbling Amed Rosario’s grounder and then throwing the ball into the Cincinnati dugout to allow Rosario to advance to second.
Miley got out of the sixth unscathed but then began feeling fatigued.
“The last three innings I was just trying to get in, get out, make pitches,” he told Bally Sports Ohio. “I was running out of gas. Found a little bit for that ninth.” Miley threw 30 pitches over the final three frames, including eight in the ninth.
For Cleveland, this was just another night of offensive struggles. It’s 29th in MLB with 208 hits in 31 games. Now it has been held to zero hits twice.
“(Miley) kept us off-balance. I think he touched 90 (mph) once tonight (with his fastball), but he put on a clinic,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters. “I mean, he cut the ball in on righties, threw a changeup, threw a four-seamer in, he just went back and forth. I mean, that was pretty impressive.”