Tigers flirt with perfect game, fall one out short of no-hitter in win

The  Detroit Tigers took a perfect game into the eighth inning and fell one out short of a combined no-hitter in a 1-0 win over the  Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Gunnar Henderson hit a two-out triple just past the glove of diving first baseman Spencer Torkelson in the ninth inning for the Orioles’ first hit, but Tigers left-hander Tyler Holton struck out Anthony Santander to close out the win.

“That was an incredibly well-pitched game by all four of our guys tonight,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “There’s the letdown of the near miss, but that’s still a shutout of a really good offense.”

It was the third no-hit bid in the majors this season that was lost with two outs in the ninth inning. The Atlanta Braves fell short of a combined no-hitter in a win over the New York Mets on May 11 and the Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez lost his no-hitter on a two-out home run by Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager on Aug. 6.

Before Holton pitched the ninth,  Beau Brieske and Brant Hurter teamed to take a perfect game into the eighth inning, retiring 21 consecutive batters before Adley Rutschman’s eight-pitch walk leading off the eighth. 

Brenan Hanifee followed Hurter and retired the next three batters. 

Holton relieved to start the ninth.  Emmanuel Rivera flied out and pinch hitter Coby Mayo took a called third strike.

Henderson hit Holton’s first pitch — a sweeper — on the ground at 103.2 mph and into the right-field corner. 

“It’s a one-run ballgame, so we knew that if someone got on base, we had a chance to run into one for a two-run homer,” Henderson said. “That’s all I was trying to do.”

Henderson became just the second batter to end a no-hit bid with a two-out triple in the ninth, joining the St. Louis Cardinals’ Bernard Gilkey against the Chicago Cubs’ Frank Castillo on Sept. 25, 1995.

Holton struck out Santander to remain perfect in eight save chances.

“It was a one-run game, so it was really important for him to reset and get set for the next hitter,” Hinch said. “It’s still an agonizing feeling it see Santander coming up with a runner on third and a chance to put them ahead with a big swing.”

Holton, though, didn’t worry about losing the no-hit bid.

“I didn’t even realize it was happening, honestly,” he said. “I just wanted to get us the win.”

Kerry Carpenter, Detroit’s second batter, homered on the third pitch of the game from Zach Eflin (10-9), accounting for the game’s lone run.

“We just didn’t score,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said.

Detroit (76-72) closed within 2½ games of Minnesota for the final AL wild-card spot.

Baltimore (83-65) dropped three games behind the AL East-leading  New York Yankees.

Brieske was scheduled to start as an opener and retired four batters while throwing 11 of 16 pitches for strikes.

Hunter struck out eight in 5⅔ innings while throwing 53 of 71 pitches for strikes. He started 17 of 18 batters with strikes, including his first 14.

“Give that left-hander a lot of credit — he’s got a funky arm angle and he was pumping strikes,” Hyde said. “We had a tough time staying on him and didn’t center him up all night.”

Hanifee relieved after Rutschman’s walk and got a pair of strikeouts around a forceout.

The game came three days after rookie Keider Montero faced the minimum 27 batters in a three-hit shutout of Colorado, Detroit’s first complete game since Spencer Turnbull no-hit Seattle on May 18, 2021. Montero and Hurter pitched together last season for Eastern League champion Erie SeaWolves.

“These young guys have been very important, because they are having experiences they’ve obviously never had at the major-league level,” Hinch said. “But they won together in Erie last year, and believe me, they enjoyed it and we’re all enjoying this.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.