Mike Fiers hasn’t been with the Houston Astros long, but new surroundings didn’t prevent him from settling into a groove and earning his first win with the franchise in style.
In Houston’s 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at Minute Maid Park, Fiers tossed the 11th no-hitter in Astros franchise history and the first by a single pitcher since Darryl Kile did so in 1993, per ESPN Stats & Info.
MLB.com relayed video of the achievement:
Fiers joined Chris Heston, Max Scherzer, Cole Hamels and Hisashi Iwakuma as the only players to notch no-hitters this season:
Fiers totaled 10 strikeouts and three walks while tossing 134 pitches—including 120 over the game’s first eight innings. To put that number in perspective, Fiers had totaled fewer than 100 pitches in 15 of his 24 starts entering Friday night.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the first time in Fiers’ career that he brought a start into the ninth inning.
“I’ve gone through my ups and downs in this game and in life and, man, just to stick with it and to get to this point,” Fiers said, according to the Houston Chronicle‘s Jose de Jesus Ortiz. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who have doubted me my whole life and a lot of people who stood by my side and are still by my side right now. I love my family and I love my friends. It’s good to do it for them.”
ESPN Stats & Info also put the accomplishment into perspective:
Perhaps most impressive was that Fiers, acquired along with Carlos Gomez on July 30, accomplished the feat against a high-powered Dodgers offense that entered the night with an NL-best 148 home runs and fifth-ranked 502 runs.
Fiers’ lack of overpowering velocity also made the no-hitter special, as Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan observed:
Now the 30-year-old will look to build on his momentum and keep the victories coming as the Astros seek to capture their first-ever AL West crown and first division title since winning the NL Central in 2001.
And with Fiers pitching alongside Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh on an Astros staff that leads the AL in earned run average, that drought may very well come to an end soon.
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