Bowden Francis came so close to making history Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
But once again, Francis and the Toronto Blue Jays failed to pull off what would have been just the second no-hitter in franchise history.
Francis pitched eight perfect innings Saturday in the Blue Jays’ 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He entered the ninth inning in Toronto with 12 strikeouts and just three walks on a career-high 112 pitches, marking by far the best outing of his career. He was just three outs away from completing the first no-hitter in Blue Jays history since 1990.
But Angels left fielder Taylor Ward ended the no-hitter in the ninth inning with a solo home run. While it wasn’t enough to lift them to victory, it saved the Angels from being on the wrong end of a no-hitter for the first time in decades. The Angels haven’t had a no-hitter since 1999, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball.
The Blue Jays quickly pulled Francis from the game after the home run, and he left the mound to a huge ovation. Reliever Chad Green then finished the inning to seal the two-run victory.
Toronto’s only no-hitter came from Dave Stieb, who threw the feat against Cleveland in 1990. He had thrown a perfect game and two no-hitters in the ninth inning in previous years. The Blue Jays have come close several times since then, most recently in 2010 when Brandon Morrow was one out in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. But an Evan Longoria hit ended that game, too.
While Francis’ historic attempt ended prematurely, the Blue Jays are still waiting for their first no-hitter in decades. The Blue Jays are one of three teams to have only one no-hitter in their history, along with the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays.
Francis entered Saturday’s game 6-3 in 21 games this season, his third with the team. He has a 4.38 ERA in 63 innings on the mound. His no-hitter would have been the fourth-highest of the season in the league.
Despite the no-hitter being interrupted, Toronto had no trouble beating the Angels on Saturday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI double in the first inning to put the Blue Jays on the board immediately, then he was hit by Joey Loperfido. Guerrero then hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to give them a three-run lead.
The win is the Blue Jays’ fifth in seven games and their third straight against the Angels. Toronto is now 62-68 this season, which still puts them in last place in the American League East. The Angels, meanwhile, are 54-76 and have lost seven of their last eight games. They have the second-worst record in the American League, behind the Chicago White Sox.