Matt Garza threw a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night, the fifth in the majors this season. It was the second to take place at Tropicana Field, where Edwin Jackson threw a 150-pitch no-hitter in late June.
Garza walked just one batter — Brennan Boesch in the second inning — but he was quickly retired on a double play.
"One of those days where everything lined up," Garza said on ESPN in his postgame interview. "That ninth inning. I looked up and I went, 'Oh crap.' I kept telling myself, 'Just finish it.'"
Garza wasn't the only pitcher flirting with a no-no on Monday night. In fact, he wasn't the only pitcher in Tampa who was making a bid, as Tigers starter Max Scherzer carried a no-hitter of his own into the sixth inning. That was broken up when Matt Joyce hit a two-out grand slam to give the Rays all the offense they would need.
The defensive gem that seemingly comes along with every no-hitter came courtesy of Ben Zobrist, who made a leaping stab to end the sixth inning.
Garza, 26, needed 120 pitches to make his mark in history. He improved to 11-5 on the season and became the first pitcher in Tampa Bay franchise history to throw a no-hitter.
