So far it looks like the 2013 season is going to be another year for the pitchers. Already this season we’ve had some real close misses when it comes to pitchers throwing no-hitters, with Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish coming within a single batter of tossing a no-no. The Boston Red Sox are already off to a much better start this year compared to last season’s campaign, and that great start got even better thanks to starter Clay Buchholz.
After winning his first two starts of the season, Buchholz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and looked to be on track for the first no-no of the 2013 season.
Things got tight for Buchholz in the top of the eighth inning though, and he allowed a base hit to Kelly Johnson, but while he lost the no-hitter he still turned in a career game. Buchholz finished the inning despite having thrown a career-high 107 pitches to do so.
This wouldn’t have been Buchholz first no-hitter, as he threw one against the Baltimore Orioles back in 2007. What made that no-hitter special was that it came in Buchholz second start in the majors and he became the first Red Sox rookie to toss a no-no. Buchholz no-hitter back in 2007 was the 17th in Red Sox history and this one on Sunday makes it the 19th in the long history of the ballclub.
In addition almost throwing the 19th no-no in the clubs history, only Cy Young and Dutch Leonard have thrown multiple no-hitters in their careers with the Sox and Buchholz would have joined that club.
Still, Buchholz turned in one of the better performances of his career and despite losing the no-hitter, he’s setting himself up for a fine season and is continuing a much welcomed trend of pitchers dominating early in the 2013 season.