ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, USA – Five Tampa Bay pitchers combined to work seven innings without allowing a hit and the Rays defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-0 to sweep a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Collin McHugh (two perfect tickets), Josh fleming (7-4 after walking in 2 1/3 innings), Diego Castillo (one out), Matt Wisler (one inning) and Pete Faribanks (one episode) combined not to concede hits in a game reduced to seven innings according to the rules implemented by the pandemic.
The match will not go on the official no-hitter list. MLB’s eight-member commission for statistical accuracy decided in 1991 that a no-hitter is a game with nine or more innings in which no hits are allowed.
Madison bumgarner, of Arizona, pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta in the second game of a doubleheader on April 25, another performance that did not go to the official records.
Cleveland had just three running backs, including Oscar Mercado, who reached base off Fleming after the third baseman Wander franco and the shortstop Taylor Walls collided while looking for a routine shot to open the third chapter. The play was initially marked as unstoppable and was changed an inning later to Franco’s error for colliding with Walls.
Walls put the Rays up 2-0 with two-out RBI singles off Sam hentges (1-4) in the second and fourth episodes. Yandy Díaz doubled the lead with his unstoppable two-touchdown in the fifth inning against Nick sandlin.
In the first game, Kevin Kiermaier hit a home run and drove in five runs, the Dominican Vidal Brujan he added an RBI single in his major league debut, and the Rays defeated the struggling Indians 8-1.
Kiermaier matched his career-high RBI by hitting a two-run double in the first inning and then a three-run homer off JC Mejia (1-4) in the third.
Michael Wacha (2-2) allowed one run and four hits, with six strikeouts, while working six innings. Ryan Sherriff took over the seventh to complete a four-hitter.
The dominican Franmil Reyes he homered for the Indians, who have lost eight in a row.
In the first meeting:
For the Rays, the Dominican Bruján 3-1, one scored and one RBI.
For the Indians, the Dominican Reyes 3-1, one scored and one RBI; Jose ramirez from 3-0 and Amed Rosario from 3-1. The Venezuelan Cesar Hernandez from 3-1. The Puerto Rican Roberto Perez from 3-1. The Colombian Harold ramirez of 2-0.
In the second match:
For the Rays, the Cubans Yandy diaz 3-1 with two RBIs; Randy Arozarena 2-1 with one scored. The Dominicans Wander Franco 4-1 with a run scored; Vidal Bruján 3-0; Francisco Mejía 2-1 with one scored.
For the Indians, the Dominicans José Ramírez 3-0; Amed Rosario 3-0. The Venezuelan César Hernández 2-0. The Colombians Oscar Mercado from 2-0; Harold Ramirez 3-0.