DALLAS: Darvish fell one out short of a no-hitter as he surrendered a ninth inning single to David Ortiz in the Texas Rangers 8-0 win over the Boston Red Sox yesterday.
“I don’t think it was the best game I threw, but it was against Boston and I pitched well against them,” Darvish said.
Darvish’s no-hitter ended with two out in the ninth against the Red Sox.
The Japanese right hander has been down this road before, as he lost a perfect-game bid with two out in the ninth last season against Houston. He was one out shy of the perfect game on April 2 when Astro’s Marwin Gonzalez hit a single into centre field to end the bid.
“This is the second time I experienced this but if I keep pitching like this someday I will get it,” Darvish said. “I will just keep doing what I am doing.”
Before Darvish, the only Major League Baseball pitcher to lose two no-hitters in the ninth was Dave Stieb, who did it three times.
Darvish, who improved to 3-1 on the season, was one out away from the first Rangers no-hitter in 20 years when Ortiz belted a single into right field.
Earlier, Darvish had retired the first 20 batters before Ortiz hit a two-out pop fly to right field in the seventh that dropped in between second baseman Rougned Odor and right fielder Alex Rios.
Rios was given an error on the play allowing Darvish to go back to work as he didn’t allow a hit until the ninth.
Darvish finished with 12 strikeouts and walked two in the win over Boston. Darvish fanned eight of the first 11 Red Sox hitters he faced.AFP
