Tigers’ Matthew Boyd loses no-hit bid against White Sox with two out in ninth inning
Matthew Boyd’s no-hit bid ended when Tim Anderson doubled with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Detroit left-hander closed out a 12-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday for the first complete game of his professional career.
The only other baserunner that Boyd (6-10) allowed was a walk to Rob Brantly in the third inning.
Anderson’s double to the gap in right-center field with two outs in the ninth came on a 2-and-0 count and Boyd’s 115th pitch. He threw a career-high 121 pitches and struck out five.
The 26-year-old from Bellevue, Wash., who starred at Oregon State, had not thrown a complete game in 52 previous major league starts and had never thrown a nine-inning complete game in 121 previous professional starts.
Miami’s Edinson Volquez has the only no-hitter in the majors this year, against Arizona on June 3.
This was the sixth time this season that a no-hitter was broken up in the ninth inning or later — and Boyd was the first pitcher to have his bid broken up with one out to go. Anderson’s drive bounced just short of the wall while right fielder Nicholas Castellanos gave chase.
Castellanos hasn’t played much in the outfield this year. He was there Sunday because Jeimer Candelario was at third base, but Anderson’s hit would have been a tough play for anyone.
The White Sox, who have not been no-hit since 2011, broke up a bid by Colorado’s Kyle Freeland in the ninth inning July 9.
Detroit hasn’t had a no-hitter since Justin Verlander threw one at Toronto on May 7, 2011.
Contreras’ suspension reduced to one game
Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras’ two-game suspension for his argument with umpire Jordan Baker has been reduced to one game, and he served the penalty in the finale of their weekend series against the Cardinals.
Contreras and pitcher John Lackey were ejected in the fifth inning of Friday’s 8-2 win. Contreras threw down his mask in anger after he was thrown out, and it bounced up and hit Baker’s leg. Contreras and Lackey also were fined by Major League Baseball. Contreras appealed the punishment.
Alex Avila replaced Contreras at catcher for Sunday’s game. Contreras had started each of the last two games behind the plate.
Etc.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong is back in the lineup after being sidelined by back spasms. Wong left in the seventh inning of Friday’s 8-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs and rested on Saturday. He got the start for Sunday’s series finale at Wrigley Field. Center fielder Dexter Fowler also was in the lineup after he was hit on the hand by a pitch in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 4-1 loss.
Boyd, acquired in 2015 when the Tigers traded David Price to the Blue Jays, was helped a couple times by fine defensive plays. Shortstop Dixon Machado went deep into the hole to field Avisail Garcia’s second-inning grounder, and first baseman Efren Navarro made an over-the-shoulder catch of Anderson’s foul pop in the sixth.
Chicago starter Dylan Covey (0-6) allowed five runs, seven hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Castellanos extended his hitting streak to a career-long 14 games with a two-run double in the third, and Mikie Mahtook’s two-run homer off Chris Beck made it 7-0 in the fifth, leaving the focus squarely on Boyd.
Castellanos kept Detroit’s offense rolling in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer, and Candelario’s three-run shot in the eighth made it 12-0.
The crowd let out a roar when Boyd took the mound for the ninth. He retired Adam Engel on a foul popup to third, then pinch-hitter Kevan Smith grounded out to second.
Boyd fell behind Anderson 2-0, however, and the Chicago hitter connected on the next pitch.
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