“In 11 years in the big leagues, I’ve never had a no-hitter or a flawless game against my team”, said Francoeur, whose team finished with two hits on Saturday. Joc Pederson, who has 22 homers, hit two solo blasts.
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The 35-year-old left-hander struck out nine and threw 89 pitches.
Kershaw wasn’t thrilled with his outing, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was. Saturday’s decision was based on the Dodgers’ hopes for the immediate future with Hill at the front of a playoff rotation, with an eye toward the blister issues in his recent past. He wasn’t happy to come out of the game but understood why Roberts made his decision with the Dodgers in a contending situation.
“You try to look at the positives, I guess”, said Kershaw, who reported no physical problems afterward. “Rich had an opportunity of a lifetime”. But if you said that Yasiel Puig – who was playing in the minors a few weeks back – would be the one to do it, we wouldn’t believe you.
“It’s the toughest thing I’ve had to do”, Roberts said.
Kershaw comes out of Friday’s start with a 1.89 ERA and a 2.12 xFIP over 124 innings pitched this season.
Fernandez (14-8) gave up three hits and three walks in seven shutout innings.
MARINERS 14, A’S 3 (at Oakland, Calif.) -Felix Hernandez pitched six scoreless innings and Nelson Cruz had three hits and three RBI for Seattle. But the story of the night was Hill, who joined Ross Stripling in the pulled-with-a-no-hitter club.
TORONTO – Rick Porcello pitched seven innings to become the first 20-game victor in the majors, Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer and the Boston Red Sox increased their AL East lead to two games by routing the Toronto Blue Jays 13-3 on Friday night.
Porcello (20-3) allowed two runs and six hits to become Boston’s first 20-game victor since Josh Beckett in 2007.
The game’s most spectacular play came in the seventh, when Martin Prado tried ending Hill’s flawless game.
For the second consecutive night, a foul ball hit the plate umpire.
“Definitely”, Turner said. “I told (Kershaw) after he was done, ‘Seeing you back out there was awesome.’ He said, ‘I wish I could have done a little better.’ I told him, ‘You being back out there is as good as it gets'”. “I think it’ll come before the end of the season”. He has just three complete games in 91 big league starts over 12 seasons. He’s always had the stuff.
“I was watching our hitters and seeing if we were staying with what we’re trying to do with (Kershaw)”, Mattingly said. He’s a big-time pitcher. Champagne has a way of easing hurt feelings, and that is what the first-year skipper has to bank on, because Hill knows as well as anyone that chances for a flawless game are extremely rare.
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Blanton retired the first two batters in the eighth before Jeff Francoeur hit a looping line drive over the head of shortstop Corey Seager.
