Astros' Fiers blanks Dodgers for 11th no-hitter in franchise history
In just his fourth outing for the Houston Astros, right-hander Mike Fiers etched his name into franchise lore.
Acquired by the Astros at last month's trade deadline, the 30-year-old recorded the 11th no-hitter in franchise history Friday night at Minute Maid Park, allowing just three walks over nine superb frames to lift his new team to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Fiers, who began his tenure with Houston in the bullpen, needed a career-high 134 pitches to navigate nine innings, while fanning 10 en route to the first individual no-hitter by an Astros pitcher since Darryl Kile in 1993.
"I've gone through a lot of ups and downs in life," Fiers told MLB.com. "A lot of people have doubted me in life, but a lot of people have stayed by my side. I've got great family and friends, so it feels great to do this for them."
Even as Fiers' pitch count climbed to unprecedented levels, though, the energy from the crowd of 33,833 kept him focused on the task at hand.
"This crowd was going insane and it got me pumped up," Fiers said. "Man, I felt like I was in the first inning. I felt great, probably better than the first inning, honestly, but this crowd behind you and my teammates. .. My command was off a little early but I was trying to stick with it. I knew it was going to come. This game is all about your playing for your teammates and the guys in the field with you and everyone here. It’s a team win, man, it feels good to perform and do that for this team. I can’t explain it."
The franchise's last no-hitter was a team effort, as Roy Oswalt and four relievers combined for nine hitless innings in an 8-0 victory over the New York Yankees back on June 11, 2003.
Fiers, though, didn't just join one of baseball's more esteemed fraternities with Friday's outing against Los Angeles. His performance also marked, for instance, the first complete game of his career and the first time this season he's pitched beyond the seventh inning.