Starter Tylor Megill and four relievers combined to throw the first no-hitter of the season, and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Friday.
The combined pitching gem included 159 pitches. Megill was pulled after five innings and 88 pitches.
The bullpen took over from there. Drew Smith, Dominican Joely Rodríguez, Seth Lugo and Puerto Rican Edwin Díaz completed the second game without a hit in the history of the Mets.
Diaz finished in style.
As 32,416 spectators cheered loudly for the Mets, he struck out Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto in the ninth inning. Mets pitching combined for 12 strikeouts and six walks.
“It was teamwork,” Megill said. “I am ecstatic. It’s crazy. It’s the first time I’ve been a part of something like this.”
Johan Santana pitched the only previous no-hitter in Mets history on June 1, 2012, when he struck out eight and required 134 pitches to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0.
The Mets began playing as an expansion team in 1962. Friday’s was their 9,499th regular-season game.
New York center fielder Brandon Nimmo made the best defensive play, running and diving to catch a line drive from Jean Segura in right-center field. This ended the third act.
“That was close,” Megill said.
The Mets entered the field and celebrated with Diaz after he got the final out. The image of the five pitchers who achieved the feat appeared on the stadium screen.
“That was fun to watch,” said Buck Showalter, who is in his first year as manager of the Mets.
A year ago, a record was set, with eight no-hitters in the Major Leagues.
For the Phillies, the Dominican Segura 4-0. The Venezuelan Odúbel Herrera 2-0.
For the Mets, the Dominicans Starling Marte 4-1, Robinson Canó 3-1. Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor 4-2. Venezuelan Eduardo Escobar 4-1 with a run scored.
indians 9
Athletics 8
Andrés Giménez hit his first career grand slam, Josh Naylor’s two-run homer capped a four-run seventh inning, and the Cleveland Guardians rallied from behind to beat the Oakland Athletics 9-8 on Friday to end a rally of seven defeats.
Naylor’s homer off Domingo Acevedo (0-1), who took the loss, came after the Guardians led off the seventh with three straight doubles, including one by Jose Ramirez that drove in two runs.
Ramírez also homered in his 1,000th game with Cleveland, which had its first win since sweeping the Chicago White Sox on April 21.
Trevor Stephan (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to claim the win. Emmanuel Clase overcame a Kevin Smith double in the ninth for his third save of the season.
For the Guardians, the Dominicans José Ramírez 3-2, with three runs scored and three RBIs; Francisco Reyes 5-0. The Venezuelan Andrés Giménez 4-3, with one scored and four RBIs. The Colombian Óscar Mercado 1-0.
For the Athletics, Venezuelan Elvis Andrus 3-1, with two runs scored. Dominican Cristian Pache 4-1, with a run scored.
Braves 6 Texas 3
William Contreras hit two impressively long homers, Austin Riley also homered, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Friday night.
Travis Demeritte hit a home run inside the park. Emphatically, he got the cue to keep running to home plate from third base coach Ron Washington, who turned 70 on the day Atlanta opened the series at Texas.
Washington managed the Rangers and led them to their only two World Series appearances, in 2010 and 11. He finally got a championship ring last year, with the Braves.
All four of Atlanta’s home runs came off pitchers other than Texas. In contrast, right-hander Ian Anderson (2-1) got the win by giving up two runs on three hits over six innings, in which he struck out five and walked twice.
For the Braves, the Dominican Marcell Ozuna 4-1. Cuban Guillermo Heredia 4-0. The Venezuelan Contreras 4-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
For the Rangers, the Cubans García 4-1 with a run scored and two RBIs, Andy Ibáñez 3-2.
