PHOENIX (AP) — Walker Buehler's no-hit bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers ended in the eighth inning Saturday when Arizona's David Peralta lined a leadoff single into center field.
The 26-year-old right-hander cruised through the Diamondbacks' order, walking two, hitting a batter and striking out a season-best 11. He was pulled with one out in the eighth after giving up a second single to Nick Ahmed.
Buehler breezed through the seventh, striking out Eduardo Escobar and Christian Walker before getting Stephen Vogt to ground out. But Peralta got a pitch up in the zone to start the eighth and lined a clean single into center. Buehler got a big hand from a sizable contingent of Dodgers' fans at Chase Field in Phoenix.
If Buehler's no-hitter had continued, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts might have had a tough decision: Buehler was already at 101 pitches when he gave up Peralta's single, nearing his season-high of 105.
There have already been six no-hitters this season, and a seventh would match 1990, 1991, 2012 and 2015 for the most since 1900, one shy of the record eight in 1884 — the first season overhand pitching was allowed.
Buehler would have joined San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (April 9), Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox (April 9), Baltimore’s John Means (May 5), Cincinnati's Wade Miley (May 7), Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull (May 18) and the New York Yankees’ Corey Kluber (May 19).
In addition, Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner had a seven-inning hitless game in a doubleheader on April 25 that is not recognized as a no-hitter by Major league Baseball.
The Dodgers' last no-hitter was May 4, 2018, when four pitchers combined on a 4-0 win over the San Diego Padres. Buehler started that game but was pulled after throwing 93 pitches. It was just his third big-league start.
Buehler is unbeaten in his past 22 starts. He's 6-0 this season and entered with a 2.38 ERA. The Dodgers led 9-0 on Saturday when Buehler was pulled from the game.
Arizona has lost a franchise-record 15 straight and dropped 38 of its past 43 games. The Diamondbacks have the worst record in the major leagues at 20-51, and they set a major-league record with their 23rd straight road loss Thursday.
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