Astros’ pitchers combine for no-hitter against Seattle
Chris Devenski stopped his ninth-inning routine and gave a cursory look at the scoreboard that towers above the Astros bullpen. A zero stared back. The righthander, renowned for his aggression and swagger-filled strut off the pitcher’s mound, was thrown back to reality.
“I kind of had to step off the mound, take a step back, gather myself,” Devenski said, “to go out there to finish this.”
Twelve throws later, on Daniel Vogelbach’s fly ball to Josh Reddick in right field, Devenski finished the 12th no-hitter in Houston history. Devenski, Will Harris and Joe Biagini teamed to toss three scoreless innings on 46 pitches.
“It couldn’t have worked out any better for us when it came to the matchups we got in the end and the energy in the building with what was at stake,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “The guys stepped up and did a really good job.”
Starter Aaron Sanchez sailed through six innings. Contact against him was weak – just two balls in play with exit velocities harder than 100 mph. His only baserunners reached via two walks and a hit by pitch. The righthander required just 92 pitches. Hinch yanked him anyway. The manager had no regret. Sanchez’s history of blister issues combined with his still-evolving relationship with the organization made the decision easy.
So, too, did the terrific matchups looming against the Mariners’ moribund order. Hinch could not have asked for better pockets for each of the three relievers.
Harris got the potent middle of the order, one with a combined 47 home runs from Vogelbach and Domingo Santana.