ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier doubled off reliever Darwinzon Hernández with one out in the eighth inning for Tampa Bay's first hit against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Nick Pivetta and Josh Taylor combined to hold the Rays hitless through seven innings. Hernández entered a scoreless game and struck out Francisco Mejía to begin the eighth before Kiermaier doubled to left field on a 1-1 fastball clocked at 94 mph.
Pivetta was pulled with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh after throwing 100 pitches. His career high is 116.
Pivetta finished with eight strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter.
Austin Meadows reached with one out in the seventh when Red Sox first baseman Michael Chavis was charged with an error after misplaying a routine grounder.
After Pivetta retired Yandy Díaz on a grounder, manager Alex Cora went to the mound to make a pitching change.
Josh Taylor intentionally walked pinch-hitter Manuel Margot before getting a fly to left from Joey Wendle.
Boston was trying to throw the seventh no-hitter in the majors this season. That would have matched 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.
The no-hitters this season were thrown by San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (April 9), Carlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox (April 14), 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 pitched a seven-inning hitless game in a doubleheader on April 25 that is not recognized as a no-hitter by Major League Baseball.
The Astros threw the most recent combined no-hitter in the majors, when Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski blanked Seattle on Aug. 3, 2019.
Pivetta retired his first nine batters before Brandon Lowe walked leading off the fourth. The right-hander issued his second free pass to Díaz with one out in the fifth, one batter before right fielder Hunter Renfroe made a leaping catch on the warning track to take away an extra-base hit from Ji-Man Choi.
Lowe also reached base in the sixth with two outs when he was hit by a pitch.
Tampa Bay starter Michael Wacha took a no-hitter into the fifth before Christian Vázquez got the game’s first hit with two outs when he lifted a soft fly ball to center field on a half-swing against an 88 mph changeup.
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