Robbie Ray was thwarted in his attempt to throw a no-hitter in the seventh inning with a ground ball that bounced off his glove, which did not prevent the Seattle Mariners from crushing the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 on Friday night.
Ray’s possible double zero was dashed when Max Srassi hit a wild grounder to the mound, just above the pitcher’s head.
Ray, the last Cy Young winner in the American League, didn’t jump, and the ball hit the toe of his glove. Stassi thus had time to get on the infield hit.
The left-hander grimaced and glanced at the electronic scoreboard in the outfield to see what the official scorer determined. He smiled when Stassi was awarded a hit, snapping a streak of 18 straight retired hitters.
Ray finished the seventh inning and returned for the eighth, opened by Juan Lagares with a triple. The Dominican scored on a double by Andrew Velázquez.
Immediately after, Ray was removed. He allowed one run and three hits in a job that included 10 strikeouts.
He was cheered loudly when manager Scott Servais asked for the ball.
On Wednesday, the Angels came within one out of being hitless by the Dodgers’ Tyler Anderson. On June 2, Jameson Taillon had a perfect game cut by the New York Yankees against the Angels in the eighth inning.
It is the first team to break no-hitter attempts after the sixth inning three times in the same month since the Houston Astros in 1984, according to STATS.
For the Angels, the Venezuelan Luis Rengifo 3-0. Dominican Juan Lagares 3-1 with a run scored.
For the Mariners, the Dominican Julio Rodríguez 4-3 with a run scored and an RBI. The Venezuelan Eugenio Suárez 4-1 with an RBI.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Robbie Ray throws after allowing a no-hitter breakout single against the Los Angeles Angels in a game Friday, June 17, 2022 (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
