Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange threw a combined no-hitter as the Detroit Tigers blanked the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
It was the 20th combined no-hitter in major league history, counting the postseason, and the first no-hitter at Detroit’s Comerica Park since Justin Verlander threw a complete-game no-hitter on June 12, 2007.
Manning (3-1), in his third start since coming off the injured list after a foot injury, pitched the first 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five while throwing 91 pitches. Foley got the next four outs and Lange pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
The no-hitter was the ninth in Tigers’ history with Virgil Trucks (two in 1952) and Justin Verlander (2007, 2011) combining for nearly half of them. Spencer Turnbull tossed the most recent one against the Seattle Mariners in 2021.
Manning said he didn’t know he had a no-hitter going and only found out as he was getting pulled.
It was a different feeling when Lange headed to the mound in the ninth.
“We were all aware of it,” Lange said. “Just go get three outs. Two-run ballgame so just got to close the game out.”
Riley Greene reached base four times and scored the game’s first run after being activated from the injured list due to a leg injury.
Kevin Gausman (7-5) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings as the Blue Jays’ winning streak was snapped at four games.
The Blue Jays had runners on the corners with one out in the first. Matt Chapman then fouled out and Cavan Biggio struck out looking, leaving the runners stranded.
Detroit jumped on Gausman for two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Greene had a bloop single with one out and Spencer Torkelson drove him home with a double into the left-center-field gap. Kerry Carpenter followed with a triple off the right-center-field fence to knock in Torkelson. Matt Vierling walked, but Gausman escaped further damage by getting Javier Baez to bounce into a double play.
Manning picked off Whit Merrifield, who was trying to steal third, during the second.
Tigers right fielder Carpenter made a sliding catch in foul territory against Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who led off the fourth inning.
Guerrero swung on a 3-0 count to lead off the seventh and flied out. Chapman then struck out, but Manning was removed after walking Biggio. Foley came in and retired Merrifield on a flyout.
Foley set down all three batters he faced in the eighth.
Lange struck out the first batter he faced, Bo Bichette, on three pitches. Brandon Belt flied out to center before Guerrero grounded out to third to complete the no-hitter.
–Field Level Media
