Mills tosses second no-hitter of 2020 as Cubs roll

MILWAUKEE — From college walk-on to major league starter, Chicago Cubs right-hander Alec Mills had to earn most every break he got.

On the brink of big league history, he was happy to welcome this bit of luck: expecting to see two-time batting champion Christian Yelich in the on-deck circle, Mills looked over and saw his backup instead.

“That kind of surprised me,” he said.

This one surprised just about everyone.

Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season in just the 15th start of his career, completing the gem in a 12-0 romp over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Mills got Jace Peterson — who replaced Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP, on defense 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.

“It just hasn’t really hit me yet,” the 28-year-old 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 in Chicago’s 16th no-hitter. Avisail Garcia almost 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.

Mills would have faced Garcia again in the ninth, but Milwaukee Manager Craig Counsell pulled the 2017 All-Star along with Yelich in the eighth with his team trailing big. Mills struck out Garcia’s replacement, Tyrone Taylor, for the second out in the ninth.

BRAVES 8, NATIONALS 4 Adam Duvall and Ozzie Albies each hit a two-run home run off a laboring Max Scherzer, and visiting Atlanta rallied past Washington.

MARLINS 2-8, PHILLIES 1-1 Braxton Garrett (1-0) allowed three hits over five innings to win his major league debut, and host Miami beat the Phillies to complete doubleheader sweep and leapfrog Philadelphia for second place in the NL East.

PADRES 6-3, GIANTS 0-1 Jurickson Profar hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning and host San Diego swept San Francisco for its seventh consecutive win.

REDS 10, CARDINALS 5 Andrew Miller loaded the bases with a hit batter, followed with a tying four-pitch walk, then threw a wild pitch that put visiting Cincinnati ahead in a three-run seventh inning as the Reds defeated St. Louis.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

RANGERS 6, ATHLETICS 3 Lance Lynn struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings, Rougned Odor hit a tiebreaking three-run home run and Texas beat visiting Oakland.

RED SOX 6, RAYS 3 In St. Petersburg, Fla., Christian Vazquez and Christian Arroyo homered to help last-place Boston get a split of a fourgame series Tampa Bay.

TWINS 7, INDIANS 5 Nelson Cruz hit his 16th home run, and host Minnesota beat Cleveland to complete a sweep of their weekend series.

WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 2 Eloy Jimenez homered, Yoan Moncada had three hits and host Chicago beat the Detroit for its fourth consecutive win.

YANKEES 3, ORIOLES 1 Gleyber Torres had tiebreaking, two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning for his first career pinch hit, lifting the host Yankees over Baltimore for a fourgame sweep.

INTERLEAGUE

BLUE JAYS 7, METS 3 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a home run completely out of Sahlen Field and Hyun Jin Ryu (4-1) made the early lead stand up, winning his fourth consecutive decision as Toronto beat New York.

DODGERS 8, ASTROS 1 Mookie Betts’ two-run home run highlighted a four-run fifth inning, Chris Taylor added a three-run shot and Los Angeles defeated Houston.

MARINERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 3 Donovan Walton had three RBI, and Seattle beat Arizona in Phoenix.

ROYALS 11, PIRATES 0 Brad Keller (4-2) pitched his first major league shutout, tossing a five-hitter as host Kansas City won its sixth in a row by beating Pittsburgh.