The Seattle Mariners made history Friday night as six pitchers combined on a 1-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was just the 10th combined no-hit game in Major League Baseball history and was the fourth no-hitter already of this still young 2012 season.
Veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood started for the M’s and pitched six no-hit innings at Safeco Field before leaving the game with a right groin injury.
Millwood was followed up by Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and, finally, Tom Wilhelmsen, who finished off the Dodgers in the ninth.
Still scoreless after six innings, Millwood had struck out six and given up just a single walk. “But while warming up for the seventh,” according to the Associated Press, “he felt a twinge in his groin and was pulled from the game.”
Furbush came on to record the first two outs in the top of the seventh for Seattle before he was relieved by eventual winner Pryor, who struck out Juan Rivera to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, third baseman Kyle Seager knocked in Ichiro Suzuki with a and the Mariners took a lead they would never relinquish.
Pryor was yanked after allowing two walks in the top of the eighth, but Luetge and League combined to retire the side.
In the ninth, Wilhelmsen came on and though Dee Gordon nearly beat out a slow grounder to short in a bang-bang play at first, the 6’6” righty took down the Dodgers in order.
The struggling Andre Ethier made the final out on a grounder to second as Wilhelmsen secured his third save of the season.
After the final out, catcher Jesus Montero jogged out to the mound and shared an awkward embrace with Wilhelmsen, who appeared not to know quite how to celebrate a no-hitter he shared with five other teammates.
"That was unbelievable," Seager told the AP after the game. "I've never been a part of anything like that with that many guys coming in and keeping the no-hitter intact."
It was the third no-no in Mariners history, following Randy Johnson in 1990 and Chris Bosio in 1993.
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