Corey Kluber on Wednesday finished the sixth no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season and the second in two nights, leading the New York Yankees over the Texas Rangers 2-0.
Kluber stopped for a moment before his first pitch of the ninth inning.
“I had to take a breath after the warmups and calm myself down a little bit,” said the pitcher nicknamed Klubot for his robot-like demeanor.
Photo: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY
“It was a lot of fun, I think it was a special night,” Kluber said. “I’ve never been part of one, witnessed one, let alone thrown one.”
There have been four no-hitters in a 15-day span. The six total are the most this early in a season.
Kluber came within a four-pitch walk to Charlie Culberson in the third inning of throwing a perfect game.
Photo: AFP
“I don’t really do too much with what-ifs. Obviously I would’ve like to not walk a guy on four straight pitches,” Kluber said. “That being said, at that point in the game, it’s still 0-0, so my thoughts after that walk were try to get out of the inning without allowing a run.”
The 35-year-old right-hander pitched his gem a night after Detroit right-hander Spencer Turnbull threw one against the Seattle Mariners, marking the first no-hitters on consecutive days since 1969, when the Cincinnati Red’s Jim Maloney threw one on April 30 before the Houston Astros’ Don Wilson did the same on May 1.
There were two no-hitters on June 29, 1990, by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela and the Oakland Athletics’ Dave Stewart.
Kluber (4-2) struck out nine. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner threw 71 of 101 pitches for strikes in his ninth start for the Yankees, lowering his ERA to 2.86 and winning his fourth straight decision.
With his fastest pitch at 92.5mph (148.9kph), he mixed 31 curveballs, 27 cutters, 23 sinkers, 18 changeups and two four-seam fastballs.
“I had butterflies in that ninth inning, I’m getting a little emotional now, even just getting to witness that was was really, really special,” manager Aaron Boone said. “And to see his teammates and the excitement of everyone for Corey, and just the excitement for themselves being a part of such a thing. What a performance.”
Kluber was pitching on that same mound when he was hurt after one inning last season, tearing a muscle in his right shoulder on July 26 in his Texas debut.
He said he did not even think about that until after that game when Robinson Chirinos, the former Rangers catcher now on the Yankees taxi squad, mentioned that it was better than his previous start in the stadium.
“We expected some outings like that in our ballpark, unfortunately not against us,” Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. I’m not surprised by this guy’s success. I’ve watched this guy go through his routine and the work he puts in.”
Right fielder Tyler Wade made a running catch of David Dahl’s flyball for the second out in the ninth inning before Willie Calhoun’s game-ending groundout to Gleyber Torres in the shortstop’s first game back after being on the COVID-19 list.
Wade entered in the third inning after Ryan LaMarre injured a hamstring.
New York got their only runs in the sixth, when Kyle Higashioka had a leadoff walk and scored on a triple by Wade.
D.J. LeMahieu followed with a sacrifice fly against Yang Hyeon-jong (0-1).
In other games, it was:
‧ Athletics 1, Astros 8
‧ Cardinals 8, Pirates 5
‧ Braves 5, Mets 4
‧ Twins 1, White Sox 2
‧ Padres 3, Rockies 0
‧ Reds 0, Giants 4
‧ Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Cubs 3, Nationals 4
‧ Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 7
‧ Phillies 1, Marlins 3
‧ Orioles 7, Rays 9
‧ Angels 2, Indians 3
‧ Royals 6, Brewers 4
‧ Mariners 2, Tigers 6
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