Positively dominant through seven innings, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish lost a no-hitter in the most frustrating fashion possible Monday afternoon against the Houston Astros.
Yu Darvish loses no-hitter, shutout, in 8th inning
For the second time this season, Darvish falls narrowly short of a historic effort against Houston.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Facing Carlos Corporan at the plate, Darvish grooved one over the middle and watched the backup catcher dispatch it to the seats, also putting an end to his shutout effort.
For Darvish, one of the most exciting pitchers in the game, this is the second time he’s closely missed on a historic pitching performance. Earlier this season, the Japanese right-hander was one out away from a perfect game against Houston before giving up back-to-back hits.
This time around, Darvish again falls short of a shutout, but his performance against the Astros has been deserving of one. Over eight innings, he's recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts while allowing just the one hit, Corporan's homer. He also walked a batter in the sixth inning, which led to the ejection of catcher A.J. Pierzynski for arguing balls and strikes.
Darvish now has five games with 14-plus strikeouts this season.
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