CLEVELAND -- Wade Miley pitched baseball's second no-hitter in three days -- and fourth already this season -- leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory Friday night over the Cleveland Indians, who were no-hit for the second time in a month.
Miley (4-2) relied on breaking pitches and his experience of 11-plus major-league seasons to baffle the Indians and throw Cincinnati's first no-hitter since Homer Bailey in 2013.
"It feels surreal," the 34-year-old said.
The left-hander shook off an 83-minute rain delay to start the game and followed Baltimore's John Means, who no-hit Seattle on Wednesday, to continue an early run of pitching gems in 2021.
San Diego's Joe Musgrove started the 2021 no-hitter club by throwing the first in Padres' history April 9. Five days later, Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon blanked the Indians, just missing a perfect game when he hit a batter in the ninth inning.
Arizona's Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta on April 25, but that one isn't recognized as official because it didn't go nine innings.
This is the earliest in a calendar year there have been four no-hitters since 1917, when the fourth was thrown on May 5 and the fifth on May 6. It's no wonder, with hitters entering Friday batting a record-low .233 this season.
For their part, the Indians joined a dubious list by becoming the 16th team to be no-hit twice in the same season. It most recently happened to Seattle in 2019.
Miley walked one and struck out eight on 114 pitches.
"He put on a clinic," Indians Manager Terry Francona said.
While Miley was blanking the Indians, Zach Plesac did the same to the Reds for eight innings before Cincinnati pushed three runs across in the ninth, helped by closer Emmanuel Clase's throwing error and a balk.
The Reds got a pair of singles before Clase (2-1) fielded an infield tapper and threw wide of second base, allowing Nick Senzel to score from second. Then, with runners at the corners, Clase began his windup before stopping and tried to throw to second.
Mike Moustakas, starting at first for the injured Joey Votto, followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 and give Miley more cushion -- but also more tome to think about it in the dugout.
In the ninth, Miley retired pinch-hitter Rene Rivera on a lazy fly to right, struck out Cesar Hernandez and retired Jordan Luplow on a grounder to third before he was mobbed by the Reds, who encircled him and danced across the grass.
Miley came in just 1-4 in eight career starts against the Indians, who were batting only .213 as a team. But Cleveland has been as hot as any team, riding a five-game winning streak and winning nine of 11 to take over first in the AL Central.
Working quickly on a cool, damp night, Miley made quick work of the Indians.
He coasted through five inning and didn't allow a baserunner until the sixth, when Cleveland's Amed Rosario reached on second baseman Senzel's fielding error and then went to second on his throwing error.
Miley also allowed a walk in the inning, but regrouped by getting Luplow on a liner to left.
Franmil Reyes came the closest to getting a hit for the Indians, but his hard smash in the fifth inning was right at shortstop Kyle Farmer, who knocked it down and had plenty of time to throw out the slow-footed slugger.
It was the Reds' 17th no-hitter since 1892.
"For something like this to happen, I don't have the words," Miley said.
NATIONALS 11, YANKEES 4 Washington burst ahead in a six-run eighth inning that included three errors and Josh Harrison's three-run home run as Washington beat New York to stop a three-game skid. With the score tied at 3-3, Yadiel Hernandez lined a single off Jonathan Loaisiga that right fielder Aaron Judge allowed to bounce off his glove for his first error since Sept. 30, 2018. Victor Robles followed with a sacrifice bunt up the third-base line and reached when DJ LeMahieu -- moved across the diamond a day after Gio Urshela injured his left knee -- threw wide of first. Trea Turner hit a go-ahead single and Harrison, batting .325 on the season, drove a 1-0 fastball into the left-field stands for a 7-3 lead.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MARINERS 5, RANGERS 4 Mitch Haniger had a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning and Seattle bounced back from being no-hit in its last game with a victory over Texas. Dylan Moore and J.P. Crawford both hit tying two-run home runs for the Mariners, who two days earlier at home were held without a hit when Baltimore's John Means faced the minimum 27 batters.
ASTROS 10, BLUE JAYS 4 Yuli Gurriel homered and tied a career high with four hits while driving in four runs as Houston beat Toronto.
WHITE SOX 3, ROYALS 0 Carlos Rodon struck out 8 and allowed 5 hits in 6 innings as Chicago beat Kansas City.
ATHLETICS 2, RAYS 1 Lefty Sean Manaea’s bid to pitch baseball’s second no-hitter Friday ended on a leadoff double in the eighth inning by high school teammate Mike Brosseau, then Seth Brown hit a game-ending home run as Oakland beat Tampa Bay.
TWINS 7, TIGERS 3 Matt Shoemaker pitched five scoreless innings and Kyle Garlick,
Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler homered to lift Minnesota over Detroit.
RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 2 Bobby Dalbec snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a single and a three-run home run, powering Boston over Baltimore.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MARLINS 6, BREWERS 1 Isan Diaz hit his first career grand slam as Miami beat Milwaukee. Miguel Rojas had two hits and scored three times for the Marlins, who have won four in a row. Milwaukee lost its sixth in a row and fell to 0-5 on its seven-game road trip. Trevor Rogers gave up 1 run and 4 hits in 5 innings for the Marlins. The left-hander struck out six and walked two. He combined with three relievers to retire 14 consecutive batters until Adam Cimber, in his second inning of work, hit Avisail Garcia to start the ninth.
PHILLIES 12, BRAVES 2 Odubel Herrera hit a three-run home run in Philadelphia's six-run first inning and the streaking Phillies beat Atlanta. Boosted by the return of Jean Segura and Bryce Harper from injuries, the Phillies set a season-high with 16 hits. J.T. Realmuto had 3 hits, including a two-run home run, and Segura drove in 2 runs with 4 hits. The Phillies stretched their winning streak to five games.
CUBS 3, PIRATES 2 Zach Davies allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings, and Rex Brothers retired Bryan Reynolds on a bases-loaded flyout for his first save since Sept. 29, 2013. Joc Pederson had three hits and an RBI for Chicago, which has won four in a row. Pittsburgh has lost seven of eight and is last in the NL Central at 13-18.
METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4 Francisco Lindor hit a tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning as New York rallied to beat Arizona. New York walked off with a victory when designated runner Pete Alonso scored on pinch-hitter Patrick Mazeika's fielder's choice. A day after snapping a 0-for-26 slide with a ninth-inning single Thursday in St. Louis, Lindor produced his biggest moment since signing a $341 million, 10-year deal with the Mets. He tied the game by hitting a 2-2 changeup from left-hander Caleb Smith.
Friday’s games
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chicago Cubs 3, Pittsburgh 2
NY Mets 5, Arizona 4 (10)
Miami 6, Milwaukee 1
Philadelphia 12, Atlanta 2
St. Louis 5, Colorado 0
San Diego at San Francisco, (n)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seattle 5, Texas 4
Chicago White Sox 3, Kansas City 0
Houston 10, Toronto 4
Boston 6, Baltimore 2
Minnesota 7, Detroit 3
Oakland 2, Tampa Bay 1
INTERLEAGUE
Washington 11, NY Yankees 4
Cincinnati 3, Cleveland 0
LA Dodgers at LA Angels, (n)
