Ryan Takes No-Hitter Into 8th Inning Again : Third Bid This Season Broken Up by Indians’ Jacoby

Nolan Ryan wasn’t too excited. After all, his no-hitter had lasted only 7 2/3 innings.

Ryan didn’t get the no-hitter, but he surpassed 4,900 strikeouts as the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-2, Sunday night.

After Ryan got the first two outs in the eighth, Brook Jacoby hit a sinking liner into theright center-field gap for a double.

It was the third time this season that Ryan had carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

“I don’t get involved in it,” Ryan said. ‘I don’t get too caught up in it until the ninth. I go out there to shut them out.”

On this night, he didn’t do that, either.

Felix Fermin led off the ninth with a single off Ryan, and one out later, Dave Clark hit his sixth homer to chase him. Jeff Russell took over and got his 17th save.

In addition to his record five no-hitters, Ryan has 11 one-hitters.

“When the ball left the bat, I felt it was a hit,” Ryan said of Jacoby’s double on a 3-2 pitch. “I knew it would take some kind of spectacular play.”

Right fielder Ruben Sierra made a backhanded stab but was several feet from the ball.

Ryan pitched his last no-hitter on Sept. 26, 1981, against the Dodgers, while a member of the Houston Astros.

“Nolan’s the greatest, isn’t he?” Ranger Manager Bobby Valentine said. “If he continues to throw like that, he’ll get a no-hitter, maybe two.”

Ryan, 42, signed as a free agent with the Rangers last winter. On April 23 against Toronto, Ryan (9-3) carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning at Exhibition Stadium but lost it when Nelson Liriano tripled. On April 12 at Milwaukee, Terry Francona singled with none out in theeighth.

He pitched a one-hitter in Seattle on June 3, but the hit came in the first inning.

Ryan’s strikeout of Joe Carter in the fourth inning gave the all-time leader 4,900 for his career. Saturday, Carter had hit three solo homers for the Indians.

“The fastball isn’t what it was but the difference between then and now is that he’s throwing strikes,” Indian Manager Doc Edwards said. “When the game started, it didn’t look like he was throwing hard, but his velocity picked up in the middle innings.”