Miley throws no-no
Former Astros pitcher records MLB’s second no-hitter of the week and fourth of the season, leads Reds past Indians.
CLEVELAND — Wade Miley pitched baseball’s second no-hitter in three days — and the fourth already this season — leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 win Friday night over the Cleveland Indians, who were no-hit for the second time in a month.
Miley (4-2) relied on breaking pitches and his experience of 11-plus major league seasons to baffle the Indians and throw Cincinnati’s first no-hitter since Homer Bailey in 2013.
“It feels surreal,” said Miley, who pitched for the Astros in 2019, going 14-6.
The 34-year-old lefthander shook off an 83-minute rain delay to start the game and followed Baltimore’s John Means, who no-hit Seattle on Wednesday, to continue an early run of pitching gems in 2021 — quickly becoming the Year of the NoNo.
San Diego’s Joe Musgrove started the 2021 no-hitter club by throwing the first in Padres history April 9. Five days later, Chicago White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon blanked the Indians, just missing a perfect game when he hit a batter in the ninth.
Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta on April 25, but that one is unofficial because it didn’t go nine innings.
This is the earliest in a calendar year that there have been four no-hitters since 1917, when the fourth was thrown on May 5 and the fifth on May 6. It’s no wonder, with hitters entering Friday batting a record-low .233 this season.
For their part, the Indians joined a dubious list by becoming the 16th team to be no-hit twice in the same season. It most recently happened to Seattle in 2019.
Miley walked one and struck out eight.
“He put on a clinic,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.
While Miley was blanking the Indians, Zach Plesac did the same to the Reds for eight innings before Cincinnati pushed three runs across in the ninth, helped by closer Emmanuel Clase’s throwing error and a balk.
The Reds got two singles before Clase (2-1) fielded an infield tapper and threw wide of second base, allowing Nick Senzel to score from second. Then, with runners at the corners, Clase began his windup before stopping and trying to throw to second.
Mike Moustakas, starting at first for the injured Joey Votto, followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 and give Miley more cushion — but also more time to think about it in the dugout.
In the ninth, Miley retired pinch-hitter Rene Rivera on a lazy fly to right, struck out Cesar Hernandez and then retired Jordan Luplow on a grounder to third before he was mobbed by the Reds.
Miley came in just 1-4 in eight career starts against the Indians, who were batting only .213 as a team. But Cleveland has been as hot as any team, riding a five-game winning streak and winning nine of 11 to take over first in the AL Central.
Working quickly on a cool, damp night, Miley made quick work of the Indians.
He coasted through five innings and didn’t allow a baserunner until the sixth, when Cleveland’s Amed Rosario reached on second baseman Senzel’s fielding error and went to second on his throwing error.
Miley also allowed a walk in the inning, but regrouped by getting Luplow on a liner to left.
“For something like this to happen, I don’t have the words,” Miley said.