“I think the fifth inning is the longest I’ve ever gone without allowing hit”, Iwakuma said.
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Seattle Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in a 3-0 victory that made him the just the second Japanese pitcher to accomplish the feat.
He has been a solid arm in Seattle’s rotation since arriving from Japan in 2012, but has struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma pitches Wednesday afternoon against Baltimore as the Mariners close out a six-game homestand. By all accounts, Iwakuma got lucky on a couple pitches left up in the zone that were missed by hitters early in the game.
It took 116 pitches for Iwakuma to put down the Orioles. “I felt the fans a lot toward the end, especially”.
Iwakuma has struck out seven, and issued three walks.
Mariners third baseman Seager made a dazzling over-the-shoulder catch near the wall in foul territory for the first out of the final inning. You let him go and he’s in his groove. “As it went along, you realized this could happen”. 411 with 13 home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs, six doubles and seven walks during the streak, also leads the majors with 140 hits as he bids to become the first player since Boston’s Jim Rice in 1978 to pace baseball in homers and hits.
In the last game to finish, Seattle squandered a three-run lead in the eighth inning against the Orioles before Austin Jackson’s bases-loaded single down the right-field line won it for the Mariners at Safeco Field. Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis added a two-out walk in that inning, but Iwakuma got out of the jam by striking out designated hitter Jimmy Paredes.
Iwakuma hit his location and the ball headed to shortstop for a tailor-made double play.
Iwakuma is now 4-2 on the season in 11 starts and lowered his ERA from 4.41 to 3.86.
“It’s not just a normal loss”. “We’re going down in the history books on the bad side of a no-hitter”. “But tip your cap”. Hernandez was wearing a fuzzy bear hat that was handed out as a promotion earlier in the season to honor Iwakuma.
New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who succeeded Iwakuma as the ace of the PL’s Rakuten Eagles before he, too, moved to the majors, caught the ninth inning on TV. “Every start I have, make up for the lost time that I’ve had the first half and do everything to contribute for the team”. “He mixes his pitches well, he’s got a ton of movement, he’s got deception in his delivery, he got deception in his windup”.
They picked up their third and final run in the fourth inning on catcher Jesus Sucre’s double. Manager Buck Showalter said Wieters was feeling better and the hope is he’ll be ready to play this weekend at home against Oakland. But he wants to give Cruz the day off because the Mariners have an off-day Thursday before beginning a series in Boston.
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Mariners skipper Lloyd McClendon has been impressed with Iwakuma’s form in recent weeks.
