Not much has gone right for the Seattle Mariners this season, but the great thing about baseball is that something special can happen on any particular day. Hisashi Iwakuma threw the fifth no-hitter in franchise history on Wednesday, leading the Mariners to a 3-0 victory over the Orioles in a matinee at Safeco Field.
Felix Hernandez was the last Mariner to hold an opponent hitless, throwing a perfect game in 2012.
Iwakuma needed 116 pitches to hold Baltimore hitless, throwing 77 pitches for strikes. He notched seven strikeouts and tied a season-high with three walks, pitching the first complete game of his four-year MLB career. Iwakuma also became the second Japanese-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter in MLB, joining Hideo Nomo.
This surely feels a redemptive moment in what’s been a rough season for the 34-year-old. Iwakuma suffered a strained lat early this season, sidelining him for more than two months. Prior to suffering the injury (or perhaps because of it), the right-hander had been roughed up, allowing 12 combined runs in his first three starts.
Since returning, however, Iwakuma had been pitching relatively well, with the exception of two starts in which he gave up five or more runs. Coming into Wednesday’s game, he compiled a 3-2 record and 4.41 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. But in his previous two starts, Iwakuma only allowed four runs and nine hits in 15.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and one walk. So he was certainly throwing well prior to facing the Orioles.
In the ninth inning, Iwakuma retired David Lough on a pop out to third-base foul territory, got Manny Machado to ground out to third and Gerardo Parra flew out to center field to close out the no-hitter. As is often the case in such pitching gems, a sterling defensive play helps preserve the effort. Lough’s pop-up to foul territory resulted in an outstanding running, over-the-shoulder catch by Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager.
As mentioned, the Mariners have failed to live up to big expectations this season after signing free agent Nelson Cruz and trading for Seth Smith, in an effort to provide some offense for a club that already boasted impressive starting pitching led by Felix Hernandez and Iwakuma.
Since losing four in a row at the end of July, the Mariners have taken two of three in their past series (and split a four-game set with the Twins, prior to that span). Though the team has been playing well in August, it’s very likely too late to make any sort of run toward a postseason bid. Wednesday’s victory still leaves Seattle with a 54-61 record and a fourth-place standing in the AL West, 7.5 games behind the Houston Astros and 6.5 games away from a wild-card spot.
Congrats to Hisashi Iwakuma on your first career no-hitter. It was a pleasure to call my fourth No-No as Mariners announcer.
— Dave Sims (@TheDaveSimsShow) August 12, 2015
But that didn’t matter on Wednesday afternoon in Seattle, with Iwakuma reminding everyone that he’s been one of the best pitchers in the American League during the past two seasons. And once again, Safeco Field hosts a no-hitter. Iwakuma’s gem is the fourth thrown at the Mariners’ home ballpark since it opened in 1999. During that span, no MLB park has seen more no-hitters.
