Bradburn: What losing a no-hitter in the ninth looks like
From Michael Bradburn at Beyond the Box Score on August 27, 2016, with mention of SABR member Stew Thornley:
During just his fifth start with his new team, Matt Moore took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. A decidedly nice way to become part of a new team, a no-hitter is simultaneously a one-game show of dominance from a pitcher, while also involving fielders in the most tense, integral, and nerve-racking parts of the game.
With a legitimate MVP candidate up at the plate separating Moore from 27 consecutive outs without giving up a hit, Corey Seager blooped a hit into shallow right field. Just over Joe Panik’s range, and just short of Kike Hernandez’s range: no man’s land as they say.
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This player has just worked for the past three hours and 133 pitches toward having a ‘9’ under the IP column and a ‘0’ under the H column, just to have it broken up on the last possible out by the guy celebrating ‘small lookalike doll with large novelty head that is attached to spring’ night.
Over the past two seasons, there have been eight no-hitters. On the other side of the coin, per Stew Thornley, there have been eight no-hitters lost in the ninth inning, including of the combined variety. In other words, 50 percent of no-hitters between 2015-16 that have made it through eight innings have continued on to make it the distance.
Read the full article here: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2016/8/27/12661194/matt-moore-giants-no-hitter-face-of-defeat-carlos-carrasco
Originally published: August 29, 2016. Last Updated: August 29, 2016.