Cincinnati Reds lefty Wade Miley has added to Major League Baseball’s early-season onslaught of no-hitters.
Miley held Cleveland to no hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in the Reds’ 3-0 victory at Progressive Field on Friday night.
IT'S A NO-HITTER FOR THE @REDS' WADE MILEY!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Rf4SAv6dF4
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 8, 2021
Wade Miley is the first @Reds pitcher to toss a no-hitter since Homer Bailey in 2013. pic.twitter.com/xYwQNxisPv
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 8, 2021
Since the 2021 season began on 37 days ago, there have already been four no-hitters thrown. Cleveland has gone hitless twice in its first 31 games after being shut down by Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox on April 14.
Zach Plesac has started for Cleveland both times the team has been no-hit. He threw eight scoreless innings against the Reds.
Cincinnati finally broke through in the top of the ninth against Emmanuel Clase. After the first two batters singled, Clase committed an error trying to turn a groundball into a double play. His throw went into center field, allowing Nick Senzel to score.
Clase balked in a run and gave up an RBI single to Mike Moustakas before being removed.
Miley is off to a fantastic start for the Reds in 2021. The former All-Star lowered his ERA to 2.00 over 36 innings in six starts.
Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres (April 9 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates), Rodon and John Means of the Baltimore Orioles (May 5 vs. Reds) tossed the other no-hitters this season.
That list doesn’t include Madison Bumgarner’s seven-inning no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves on April 25 in the second game of a doubleheader. MLB rules dictate that neither a team nor pitcher will officially be credited with a no-no in a seven-inning game of a doubleheader unless it goes into extra innings.
It’s no secret that offensive numbers have been down so far in 2021. ESPN.com noted that hitters posted a collective .232 batting average in the month of April, five points lower than the 1968 season that resulted in MLB lowering the pitcher’s mound.
The last season to feature four no-hitters was in 2019. MLB looks like it is going to blow past that number this year.
