Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis threw eight no-hit innings on Wednesday afternoon before the bullpen faltered in a 6-2 loss to the New York Mets.
Francisco Lindor ended Francis’s no-hit bid with a solo homer to lead off the ninth inning. He drove an 0-2 pitch an estimated 398 feet to tie the game.
Pete Alonso and Starling Marte pushed runs across with sacrifice flies against reliever Chad Green (4-6), who gave up a hit and three walks. Francisco Alvarez iced it with a three-run homer off Genesis Cabrera.
Danny Young (4-0) recorded one out for the win and Edwin Diaz got one out for his 18th save.
His previous no-hit bid also ended with a leadoff homer in the ninth. Taylor Ward ended that bid in Toronto’s 3-1 win over the L.A. Angels on Aug. 24.
Dave Stieb recorded the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history on Sept. 2, 1990 in a 3-0 road win over Cleveland.
Francis, the American League pitcher of the month for August, needed only 44 pitches to retire the first 12 Mets batters in order.
The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the fourth inning against Mets starter Sean Manaea after loading the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk.
Davis Schneider’s slow grounder forced Ernie Clement out at third but plated Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Francis hit Alonso with a pitch in the fifth inning to give New York its first baserunner. Marte walked before Alvarez flew out to end the frame.
Schneider helped extend the no-hit bid in the sixth with a highlight-reel catch. Harrison Bader pulled the ball to deep left field but Schneider timed his jump perfectly and caught it against the wall.
Francis worked his speeds nicely throughout his appearance, mixing a splitter in with his fastball and slow curve. He got J.D. Martinez to hit a weak pop-up for the final out in the seventh as his pitch count rose to 102.
Manaea departed in the eighth after issuing a two-out walk to Brian Serven. He allowed three hits, one earned run and four walks while striking out eight.
With most of the announced crowd of 29,399 on their feet for the ninth inning, Francis got Lindor to fall behind in the count before the shortstop pounced on a 92-m.p.h. fastball for his 31st homer of the year.
Francis walked a batter and had one strikeout. He threw 68 of his 111 pitches for strikes.
After Green struggled, Alvarez welcomed Cabrera by launching his first pitch an estimated 439 feet to straightaway centre field for his seventh homer.
The Mets (80-66) moved a half-game ahead of Atlanta for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League. The Braves were scheduled to play the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
Addison Barger drove in Daulton Varsho in the bottom of the ninth for the last-place Blue Jays (69-78). The game took two hours and 37 minutes to play.
Bowden Francis's No-Hitter Streak Ends Again
Francis's near perfect game in the eighth inning brought back memories of his August 24th no-hitter against the Angels, which was also broken in the ninth inning. This time, however, it was Francisco Lindor’s powerful swing that ended the bid.
Blue Jays Bullpen Falters
While Francis’s pitching performance was impressive, the game’s outcome was ultimately determined by the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Chad Green, who came on in relief, surrendered three runs in the ninth inning, including a three-run homer by Francisco Alvarez. Green’s struggles came after he had walked three batters, demonstrating the impact of the bullpen’s struggles in the game.
A Promising Future for Bowden Francis
Despite the unfortunate ending, Francis has proven himself to be a valuable asset to the Blue Jays. He is currently the American League Pitcher of the Month, demonstrating a strong consistency in his pitching. Francis has a bright future ahead of him, and the Blue Jays will certainly be relying on his pitching prowess to improve their standing in the league.
