PITTSBURGH — Rich Hill’s first 98 pitches left the Pittsburgh Pirates confounded, occasionally fuming and absolutely hitless. His 99th turned a potentially historic night by the Los Angeles Dodgers lefty into something else entirely: ADVERTISING PITTSBURGH — Rich Hill’s first
PITTSBURGH — Rich Hill’s first 98 pitches left the Pittsburgh Pirates confounded, occasionally fuming and absolutely hitless. His 99th turned a potentially historic night by the Los Angeles Dodgers lefty into something else entirely:
A loss.
After Hill’s bid for a perfect game was spoiled by a leadoff error in the ninth inning, Josh Harrison started the 10th by connecting on an 88 mph fastball over the middle of the plate and sending a drive into the first row of seats in left field. It wrecked Hill’s improbable — and improbably lengthy — try at a no-hitter and lifted the Pirates to a stunning 1-0 win on Wednesday.
“It falls on me, this one — one bad pitch,” Hill said.
Dodgers left fielder Curtis Granderson made a fearless attempt to preserve the no-hitter, banging into the wall going for a catch. When the ball sailed inches past his outstretched glove, Harrison sprinted around the bases after his 16th home run while Hill (9-5) slowly walked off the field after being handed his first loss in nearly two months.
“I hit it and I knew I didn’t get it all,” Harrison said. “I knew I got enough.”
Just enough on a night Hill flirted with the 24th perfect game in major league history. His shot at joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs ended when third baseman Logan Forsythe couldn’t handle Jordy Mercer’s grounder opening the ninth. Hill retired the next three batters and manager Dave Roberts sent the 37-year-old Hill out for the 10th, a makeup call of sorts after Hill was pulled after seven innings and 89 pitches of perfection against Miami last September.
It turned out to be one batter too many, though both Hill and Roberts tried to downplay their disappointment. Hill remains in the middle of a late-career renaissance in Los Angeles and his flirtation with perfection is the latest sign his stuff — built on precision rather than power — can still get batters out with remarkable efficiency.
“He competed, every pitch was with a purpose,” Roberts said. “Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get that one hit. We’ve done it all year long.”
Just not this time.
Seattle ace Felix Hernandez threw the last perfect game in the big leagues, in 2012 against Tampa Bay. Since then, three pitchers have lost perfect game tries with two outs in the ninth — Yu Darvish for Texas and Yusmeiro Petit for San Francisco in 2013 and Max Scherzer for Washington in 2015. Miami’s Edinson Volquez has pitched the only no-hitter in the majors this year, in June against Arizona.
Hill became the first pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 1995 to take a no-hit try into extra innings. Martinez, then with Montreal, lost his perfect game in the 10th at San Diego. Hill finished nine innings with a “0’’ in the hit column but it doesn’t count as an official no-no.
Under Major League Baseball rules, a pitcher must complete the game — going nine innings isn’t enough if it goes into extras. Back in 1959, a Pirates pitcher had perhaps the most famous near-miss of all when Harvey Haddix lost his perfect game and the game itself in the 13th at Milwaukee.
Hill nodded when told of Haddix’s story in the aftermath, though the similarities are only superficial. Haddix and the ‘59 Pirates finished in fourth place, nine games out of first.
Even with the setback, the Dodgers (89-36) remain within striking distance of the best regular-season record in major league history and favorites to reach the World Series. That was the ultimate goal when Hill threw his first pitch in front of 19,859 at PNC. And when he threw his last.
“We have something bigger than any individual here that’s going on,” Hill said. “That’s something we all realize and have to understand tomorrow is another day and is a big day to come back and win the series. We’re in it for the delayed gratification, not the instant gratification.”
ORIOLES 8, ATHLETICS 7, 12 INNINGS
BALTIMORE — Zach Britton’s AL-record run of converting 60 straight save attempts ended amid the evening shadows of Camden Yards, when the Baltimore closer blew a two-run lead and failed to get out of the ninth inning in a game the Orioles ultimately won in the 12th.
Baltimore led 7-5 heading into the ninth when Britton entered to seal the victory, just as he had been doing successfully since the final days of the 2015 season. On this occasion, however, the left-hander gave up three straight hits before a sacrifice fly by Matt Joyce tied it.
Following a walk to Khris Davis, Britton was replaced by Miguel Castro (3-1), who quelled the uprising.
Manny Machado led off the 12th with a home run off Simon Castro (1-2) to end a game that lasted 4 hours, 20 minutes.
Britton’s streak began on Oct. 1, 2015, extended through all of last season and went for 11 more saves this year. He had not blown a save since Sept. 20, 2015, at Tampa Bay.
Britton finished well short of Eric Gagne’s major league mark of 84, set from 2002-04.
ASTROS 6, NATIONALS 1
HOUSTON — Alex Bregman hit a three-run homer and Jake Marisnick and Max Stassi added solo shots to help Houston beat Washington.
The victory snaps a nine-game losing streak to the Nationals and is just Houston’s second win in the last 15 games against Washington.
Houston starter Mike Fiers (8-8) yielded four hits and one run in seven strong innings to get his first win since July 21. Fiers was in command from the start of this one, looking much better than he had in his last four starts when he allowed a combined 24 hits and 20 runs.
The game was tied at 1 with one out in the fifth when Marisnick sent a curveball from Edwin Jackson (4-3) into left-center field for his 15th homer.
RED SOX 6, INDIANS 1
CLEVELAND — Mitch Moreland hit a fifth-inning home run, and Drew Pomeranz and three relievers bested Corey Kluber.
Moreland homered to right on a 1-0 pitch from Kluber (12-4), who allowed two runs over 7 2/3 innings.
Mookie Betts’ RBI single with two outs in the eighth ended the night for Cleveland’s ace, who allowed four hits and struck out 12 — the 13th time this season he’s reached double figures in strikeouts.
Four pitchers held Cleveland’s injury-depleted lineup to three hits, a night after Doug Fister pitched a one-hitter.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-out homer in the eighth off Addison Reed.
Pomeranz (13-4) gave up two hits and struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings in winning his seventh straight decision.
ROYALS 6, ROCKIES 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off former Kansas City teammate Greg Holland, lifting the Royals over Colorado.
Hosmer’s 21st home run of the season was the first game-ending shot of his career.
Holland (2-5) fell to 0-4 with one save in four opportunities in his past six games, allowing 10 hits, three home runs and 12 runs over five innings. The former Royals closer issued a leadoff walk in the ninth, gave up a two-out single to Melky Cabrera and then was tagged by Hosmer on a 1-1 pitch.
Brandon Maurer (2-1) pitched the ninth.
YANKEES 10, TIGERS 2
DETROIT — Gary Sanchez homered and drove in three runs, and Luis Severino pitched impressively into the seventh inning to lead New York to another lopsided win over Detroit.
Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley also homered for the Yankees, who have taken the first two games of this series by a combined score of 23-6. Severino (11-5) allowed a run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Jordan Zimmermann (7-11) allowed seven runs for a third straight start. New York broke the game open with five runs off him in the third.
Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias went deep for Detroit’s only runs. The Tigers have lost eight of nine.
CUBS 9, REDS 3
CINCINNATI — Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer in the ballpark near his home, Tommy La Stella added a two-run shot while subbing for Kris Bryant, and Chicago kept its second-half surge going with a victory over Cincinnati.
The defending World Series champions have won eight of 10. They are 11 games over .500 for the first time this season and have their biggest lead in the NL Central, 3 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee.
Left-hander Mike Montgomery (4-6) allowed four hits in six shutout innings, filling in for Jon Lester in the rotation. Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler homered in the ninth for the Reds.
Schwarber provided an opposite-field shot in the fourth inning off Asher Wojciechowski (3-3), his ninth since he returned from a stint in the minors.
MARINERS 9, BRAVES 6
ATLANTA — Taylor Motter replaced an injured Robinson Cano and gave Seattle the lead with a two-run single in the eighth inning.
Cano had two doubles before leaving with tightness in his left hamstring in the third.
Kyle Seager added a three-run homer in the eighth inning off Dan Winkler.
After blowing a 4-3 lead in the seventh, the Mariners rallied against Jim Johnson (6-3) in the eighth. Motter’s single to center field drove in Jean Segura, who doubled, and Yonder Alonso, who walked.
David Phelps (4-5, 2-1 AL) recorded two outs in the seventh after coming off the disabled list. Edwin Diaz recorded the final four outs — including three strikeouts in the ninth — for his 29th save in 33 chances.
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