Since no hit bid going, this was a precursor almost predictable.
Justin Verlander was commanding his pitches brilliantly on the mound. An overmatched Pittsburgh lineup so powerless against him.
So with only two outs separates Detroit ace from yet a rare achievement, Verlander threw a breaking ball just off the outside corner, and Josh Harrison hit a soft line drive to center field for a single.
"Would I rather be hit hard? Course," Verlander said. "But a hit is a hit is a hit."
Justin Verlander was commanding his pitches brilliantly on the mound. An overmatched Pittsburgh lineup so powerless against him.
So with only two outs separates Detroit ace from yet a rare achievement, Verlander threw a breaking ball just off the outside corner, and Josh Harrison hit a soft line drive to center field for a single.
"Would I rather be hit hard? Course," Verlander said. "But a hit is a hit is a hit."
Harrison, the ninth-inning single broke up Verlander latest no-hit bid, but the powerful right-hander was brilliant again Tigers, struck out 12 in a 6-0 victory over the Pirates Friday night. Verlander allowed two walks and settled down for his first career one-hitter. He almost became the sixth largest Leaguer to throw at least three no-hitters.
The Pirates have not been no-hit since 1971 when Bob Gibson did it against them for St. Louis. In fact, Pittsburgh was not hit only four times in franchise history.
Verlander fell just short of the third no-hitter in the majors already this season. Philip Humber struck a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox in Seattle on 21 april, and Jered Weaver threw a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota, 2 May
Verlander no-hit Toronto on 7 May 2011. His second no-hitter came June 12, 2007, against Milwaukee.
"I felt pretty good. I do not know if it was the best. It is difficult to compare some of the other to this one, just because they are different," Verlander said. "I'm a different pitcher now than I was last year even, or especially four or five years ago with the first one I had. But I felt like I hit really well."
Four of the five pitchers with at least three no-hitters in the Hall of Fame: Nolan Ryan (seven), Sandy Koufax (four), Bob Feller (three) and Cy Young (three). Larry Corcoran, a symmetric pitcher, who won the 177-game 1880-85, is the other.
The 29-year-old Verlander, last year's AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, really brought the audience to live in the eighth with three straight strikeouts. Casey McGehee went down to look at a 98 km / h fastball when Nate McLouth struck out swinging at a pitch that hit the 99th
Verlander reached 100 km / h with his first pitch to Clint Barmes, and after getting him to chase an outside space for strike three, he walked slowly to the Detroit dugout and down the stairs closest to home plate on the third day-base side - while teammates, a second input of the opposite end.
In the ninth, Michael McKenry grounded to shortstop Jhonny Peralta on a 3-2 deal, and Verlander got in front of Harrison before he reached a 1-2 slider and sent a clean single up the middle, Peralta could not get to.
"I was Amped to hit its 100 km / h fastball that I do not even know where the ball was going," said Harrison. "He never threw my fastball in that at-bat, but I finally got a pitch I could put my bat on."
Verlander (5-1) then drop the ball in shallow center and bent back on the mound, knowing how close he came. He settled for his sixth career shutout and 16th complete game. He threw 109 pitches.
The sellout crowd at Comerica Park Verlander gave a big applause, and he quickly finished off the Pirates with a pair of ground outs. After the Tigers lined up for high-fives, Verlander greeted fans with a wave.
It was his first one-hitter, but he allowed one hit in eight innings against the Los Angeles Angels last season, one of several close calls to go with the no-hitter against the Blue Jays.
After rolling to the AL Central title in 2011 and adds Prince Fielder in the offseason, was Detroit just 18-20 in Friday night games. Against the pirates if the Tigers a glimmer of what Motown was hoping to see this season.
Miguel Cabrera Fielder and hit the back-to-back double RBI in the first off Charlie Morton (2-4). Delmon Young added a solo Homer in the fourth, and Don Kelly's run-scoring single later inning made it 4-0.
Then there was Verlander.
"With him, at any time as the fifth, sixth inning with his stuff, you think it could happen," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. "His stuff was better today than it was last year during his no-hitter."
