HOUSTON — Mike Fiers pitched the second no-hitter in the major leagues in nine days Friday night, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fiers (6-9) struck out Justin Turner on his 134th pitch to end it and threw his glove high into the air for his first career complete game and the fifth no-hitter in the big leagues this season. The Seattle Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma tossed a no-no on Aug 12.
Fiers said his exhaustion didn’t hit him until he threw his last pitch.
“After I got that last out everything kind of hit me,” he said. “Once you’re in that moment you don’t feel anything really. You’re going off adrenaline at that point.”
Astros executive Nolan Ryan, who threw a record seven no-hitters, applauded from a suite as Fiers was mobbed by his teammates near the mound after finishing the 11th gem in Astros history.
Having never even gotten an out in the ninth inning in his five-year career, Fiers was dominant. He struck out 10 and walked three, retiring the final 21 batters.
The 30-year-old right-hander allowed a walk in each of the first three innings, but didn’t allow a baserunner after walking Joc Pederson to start the third.
“My command was off a little early, I just tried to stick with it, I knew it was going to come,” Fiers said. “This game is all about playing for your teammates, guys on the field with you.”
Fiers was acquired along with Carlos Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30 and has been rejuvenated by the move from a last-place club to the top of the AL West. He allowed just one earned run over 12 innings in his first two starts for Houston.
Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images
