MLB: Means misses out on perfection, but still throws a no-hitter to manhandle the Mariners
Seattle, Washington - The Baltimore Orioles took full control of their game on Wednesday, handing the Mariners a no-hitter.
John Means, one of the American League's best starting pitchers this season was in rare form, throwing his first-career no-hitter as the Orioles dominated the Mariners 6-0.
The 28-year-old's feat was remarkable for all sorts of reasons. It was not only the season's third no-hitter, but also the first non-perfect one in MLB history. The error that kept Means from perfection was a wild pitch in the third inning that got away from catcher Pedro Severino, allowing a batter to safely reach first base. To add to this historic performance, this was the first no-hitter by an Orioles pitcher in over 50 years, since 1969 to be exact.
Means threw a total of 113 pitches, for 12 strikeouts and no walks. His record now improves to an unmatched 4-0.
Ramón Urias and D.J. Stewart both got things going early for Baltimore's offense as they both drove in a run each in the third inning. Another run was scored later on in the seventh when Pat Valaika hit a solo shot to build the score to 3-0. And finally, Trey Mancini capped things off with a three-run homer in the eighth but by then, Means was well into his groove.
On Friday, the Orioles head back home to welcome the Red Sox into town, and the Mariners look to regroup down in Texas against the Rangers.
Around the league
The Rockies took two out of three from San Fran with a 6-5 win over the Giants, while the Reds only needed one run to get by the White Sox in ten innings 1-0. The Cards beat the Mets 4-1 in their first game of a doubleheader, but New York returned the favor in the second game, winning 7-2. And the Blue Jays beat the Athletics 9-4.
In Miami, the Marlins shut out the Diamondbacks 8-0. And Marcell Ozuna hit another grand slam to help the Braves beat the Nationals 5-3. The Yankees have extended their winning streak to a season-high five games by beating the Astros again 6-3, while the Phillies held on the beat the Brewers 5-4.
The Tigers ended a six-game skid, with a 6-5 win over the Red Sox in extra innings, while the Cubs followed suit with a 6-5 win of their own over the Dodgers in eleven innings.
The Twins fell to the Rangers in a low-scoring affair 3-1. And thanks to some ninth-inning heroics, the Indians just got by the Royals 5-4. The Padres took care of the Pirates 4-2, while the Rays have now won four in a row with a 3-1 win over the Angels.
On Thursday, The Yanks look to make it three straight over the Astros, while the Jays hope to split their series against the A's.
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo