Cubs’ Mills no-hits Brewers for season’s second no-hitter
Cubs right-hander Alec Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season, completing the 16th such gem in Chicago franchise history in a 12-0 romp over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Mills got Jace Peterson — who replaced star slugger Chritsian Yelich late in the blowout — to hit a routine grounder to shortstop Javier Baez with two outs in the ninth. Baez completed the play, and the Cubs swarmed around Mills, tearing off his cap and pulling at the smiling right-hander’s uniform after his first career complete game in his 15th start.
“It just hasn’t really hit me yet,” Mills said. “It’s kind of crazy, I didn’t even know how to celebrate. Just something that all came together today. Obviously a memory I’ll have forever.”
Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls. Avisail Garcia nearly got to him twice, hitting a line drive to right in the first and nearly legging out an infield hit to shortstop in the sixth. Garcia crossed first and immediately called to the Brewers dugout for a review, but after a very brief stoppage, the Brewers opted not to challenge.
Mills would have faced Garcia again in the ninth, but Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell had pulled Garcia and Yelich with his team trailing big. Mills struck out Garcia’s replacement, Tyrone Taylor for the second out in the ninth.
“It kind of surprised me,” Mills said. “Taylor hitting there and then Peterson, I had no idea they were in the game.”
Mills struck out five and walked three. His five strikeouts are the fewest in a Cubs no-hitter since Ken Holtzman in 1969. He only induced five swings and misses, tied with Oakland’s Dallas Braden during his perfect game in 2010 for fewest in a no-hitter since at least 1988, per Stats Inc.
Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito threw baseball’s other no-hitter this season against the Pirates on Aug. 15.
Mills was a 22nd-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2012. He had started just six major league games prior to this season but cracked Chicago’s rotation because of an injury to Jose Quintana. He went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his first two starts, struggled in his next five but pitched solidly Tuesday against the Reds with six shutout innings. He entered Sunday 4-3 with a 4.74 ERA this season.
Not bad for a player who couldn’t get a college scholarship. Mills was a walk-on at Tennessee-Martin.
“Never give up,” Mills said. “You know, some people are going to tell you you can’t do it or you’re not good enough. That’s just one person. So just keep working. Just persevere.”