On Friday night Anibal Sanchez almost tossed his second career no-hitter. Sanchez, who also recorded a no-no in 2006 with the Marlins, got 25 outs before allowing a single to Joe Mauer.
After the eighth inning Sanchez had thrown 113 pitches. High pitch totals are not unheard of for Sanchez entering Friday nights game. He threw 121 pitches in a complete game against Atlanta in which he struck out 17 on April 26. In five of Sanchez’s previous nine starts he had thrown 113 pitches.
Sanchez started the ninth by striking out Jamey Carroll for his tenth strikeout before Joe Mauer dropped a single over second base. Sanchez would then strike out Josh Willingham and Justin Mourneau to end the game.
The final line for Sanchez is nine innings, one hit, three walks and 12 strike outs. Sanchez finished the game with 130 pitches thrown.
Detroit jumped out to an early lead scoring the first run of the game in the second when Omar Infante walked with the bases loaded allowing Don Kelly to score. Miguel Caberera would single in two runs later in the inning.
In the third Kelly would hit a two-run shot while Infante would single in a run in the bottom of the sixth.
Sanchez’s no-hitter would have been the eighth in the history of the Detroit Tigers. Justin Verlander threw the last no-hitter for the Tigers when he held the Blue Jays without a hit on May 7, 2011.
