Manaea impresses with more than just no-hitter

ARLINGTON, Texas — Sean Manaea’s father is from American Samoa, where he grew up playing cricket and rugby and didn’t really know anything about baseball.

The younger Manaea was born in Indiana, loved baseball from an early age and blossomed into a hard-throwing 6-foot-5 lefty who in his last start for the Oakland Athletics threw a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox.

“My parents never played baseball,” Manaea said. “They just signed me up one day, and I was like, ‘All right, let’s do that.’ ... From then on, something grabbed me and just kept pulling me toward it. It’s just been my first love since I started playing.”

While Oakland’s first no-hitter since 2010 is certainly the highlight so far for Manaea, the 26-year-old is off to an impressive start overall in his third big league season.

Manaea has a 3-2 record — the A’s scored only one run total in his two losses — with a 1.23 ERA. His 36 2/3 innings matched the major league lead going into Tuesday night’s games. Opposing teams are hitting only .130 against him

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea (right) celebrates with catcher Jonathan Lucroy after pitching a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox.

while managing 3.93 hits per nine innings, both second-best in the majors.

“A no-hitter obviously is a nohitter. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s going to do the rest of the season,” A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. “The way he’s thrown so far this year is really, really special.”

Manaea struck out 10, walked two and threw 108 pitches in the 3-0 win at home Saturday night. Manaea mixed in changeups and sliders with his fastball against File, John Hefti / AP

the best team in the big leagues so far this season.

“I don’t know how you don’t gain confidence from something like that. It’s one thing to throw a nohitter. It’s another thing to throw a no-hitter against the Red Sox the way they’re playing,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s a confident pitcher as is, but to be able to finish off a game like that should carry with him for a while.”

Manaea’s next start will be Friday night in Houston against the World Series champion Astros.