DETROIT (AP) — Matt Manning wasn’t upset about being pulled while pitching a no-hitter.
He said he didn’t even realize it until someone told him in the dugout.
“I had no idea,” he said. “I was like, ‘well, dang,’”
By the time the game was over, everyone at Comerica Park knew what Manning and relievers Jason Foley and Alex Lange had achieved.
Foley and Lange finished what Manning started, and the Tigers no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays in a 2-0 win on Saturday.
Manning (3-1) pitched 6 2/3 innings and Foley got four straight outs.
Lange, the Tigers closer, came in for the ninth and struck out Bo Bichette on three pitches. Brandon Belt lined out to center field, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third on an 0-2 pitch.
It was the ninth no-hitter in Tigers history and the first combined one. It was the first no-hitter for the franchise since Spencer Turnbull no-hit the Seattle Mariners on May 18, 2021. Detroit no-hit the Blue Jays for the second time — Justin Verlander did it at Toronto on May 7, 2011.
Verlander also pitched the most recent no-hitter against the Blue Jays, doing it for Houston on Sept. 1, 2019.
It’s second no-hitter in the majors this season after Domingo Germán’s perfect game for the New York Yankees at Oakland on June 28. The last combined no-hitter in the regular season was by the Houston Astros against the Yankees on June 25, 2022, and the Astros repeated the feat — again with Cristian Javier as the starting pitcher — against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series on Nov. 2.
The Tigers celebrated at the mound with Manning and Foley joining the crowd.
“How about that, Detroit?” Lange yelled to the crowd while being interviewed on the field with Manning, Foley and catcher Eric Haase. “Thank you for sitting through the rain to cheer for us.”
Manning was replaced after walking Cavan Biggio with two outs in the seventh. He walked three batters and hit one while striking out five. He threw 91 pitches.
“He was laboring a ton,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I almost took him out after the fifth and after the sixth. I sent him out for the seventh, but once a runner gets on, we have to worry about winning the game.”
Foley retired Whit Merrifield in the seventh before pitching a perfect eighth.
“I thought Matty was going to keep going, but I got in there and tried to throw strikes,” he said. “This is pretty awesome — I couldn’t ask for two better guys to do this with.”
Kevin Gausman (7-5) allowed two runs in the first inning.
Riley Greene singled in his first at-bat since May 30 and scored on Spencer Torkelson’s one-out double in the first.
Kerry Carpenter followed with an RBI triple to make it 2-0, but Javier Báez hit into an inning-ending double play.
Carpenter made a spectacular catch to start the fourth inning, sliding in foul territory to catch Guerrero Jr’s pop fly down the right-field line.
Báez made a big play in the sixth, racing into left field to catch Bichette’s fly ball with left fielder Matt Vierling shifted to left-center field.
“You have to tip your cap to good pitching and some great defense,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Javy made a great play on Bo’s ball and Carpenter made the catch on Vladdy. That’s usually what happens — you have good pitching backed up by some good plays.”
The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 22 minutes by rain and a hard shower fell in the first inning.
“I think that helped me a lot — battling through adversity early like that,” said Manning, who started the game by hitting Bichette and walking Belt. “I got into rhythm with Haase and it felt really good.”
Haase also caught Turnbull’s no-hitter.
“About the sixth inning, you start counting outs,” he said. “Matt was keeping them uncomfortable and then Foley came in and shut the door before Lange did what he does.”
The Tigers lost 12-2 to the Blue Jays on Friday.
“Our approach at the plate was whatever we didn’t do last night,” Haase said. “That’s baseball — we got our teeth kicked in last night and get a combined no-hitter today.”
ROSTER MOVES
The Tigers activated Greene and RHP Beau Brieske from the injured list, optioned RHP Alex Faedo to Triple-A Toledo and designated INF Jonathan Schoop for assignment.
BIG RETURN
Greene reached base four times in his return, singling twice and walking twice.
WINNING OVER THE VISITING FANS
For the second time in 24 hours, the Tigers and Blue Jays drew more than 30,000 fans — about 50% supporting each team. That’s not uncommon when Toronto teams visit Detroit, but even the fans in blue were cheering at game’s end.
UP NEXT
The teams finish a three-game series on Sunday with LHP Tarik Skubal (0-0, 0.00) making his second start of the season for Detroit. RHP Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.09) is scheduled to pitch for the Blue Jays.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
