Verlander Tosses No-Hit Gem

Justin Verlander no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers tonight (the game ended minutes ago) becoming the first Tiger to pitch a no-hitter at home since Virgil Trucks did it in 1959. At least I think he is. I'll have to look it up, but I think that's what it's gonna say. I knew Jack Morris threw the last no-hitter for Detroit (1984, early in the World Championship Season on a brutal cold, windy day at Comisky), but the last Tiger to throw one at home was Trucks, and that was 48 years ago. So, this is a special night.

And the Tigers are tied for first, since Florida beat Cleveland 3-0 tonight, thanks to this guy who plays centerfield for Florida, Amezinga or something.

He made this catch to end the 6th that made me shout out loud. As good a running catch as you are gonna see. Then he made a better grab than that, leaping up against the wall for the second out in the 9th. And he made a catch in the second which I missed but which looked about as good as the others on the replay. That grab in the 6th reminded me of “The Best Catch I Ever Saw”: Ruppert Jones of Seattle against Jason Thompson in 1978. After Thompson hit a two-iron to dead center Jones just turned his back lit out for the 440 sign at Tiger Stadium and, on a dead run, actually out-ran the ball. Trust me, it was an amazing sight. That, I think, was in the 8th, prompting to me to comment that the game was gonna stay tied and go into extra innings if things kept up as they were and Eli Zaret said, "Who just made that tastless remark about extra innings?”

Eli was right. The game went 16 or 17 innings and the Tigers won or lost. I think they won but I’d have to look it up. The Pistons had a playoff game that night and the Tigers game lasted long enough for a few of the reporters who had been covering that game to make it to Tiger Stadium before the game with the M's ended. It was the longest night I ever spent at Tiger Stadium.

Anyway, that catch by Jones was the best I’d ever seen and it remained the best I’d ever seen for six or seven innings or so because later, in the 13th or 14th inning he did it again—and against the same hitter, Jason Thompson. Just as he had earlier, Thompson hit a bomb to center, a long line drive tattooed to dead center and Jones outran it, too, making an even better catch. And it’s not just me saying that. Ralph Houk said after they were among the two best catches he’d ever seen. And they came in the same game by the same guy. I’ll bet Jason Thompson remembers. I never would have remembered the name Ruppert Jones if I hadn't seen his name on an AFLAC Trivia quiz or some graphic like it during a Mariners game I was watching on MLB. Com a few days ago.

Good to see Cleveland lose. They had this kid Fausto Carmona on the mound tonight. I think he’s their ace, and I think he’s a rookie. He’d held Florida to two singles through six when, in the bottom of the 7th the Marlins scored three on a one-out bases loaded double which was more of routine ground ball that happened to take a 12-foot hop over the third baseman’s head and wound up in the leftfield corner. Olsen pitched great for Florida, allowing three singles through 7. When he didn’t come out for the 8th I got mad and went to “Gameday” to get hit pitch count was even angrier when I saw it was only 92. A three-hit shutout and you’re pulled before you’ve thrown 100 pitches? Not the way they played when I played. But whoever manages Florida was right because Armondo Benetiz comes out of the pen and gets ‘em out on 11 pitches and I think he was the guy who got the Indians out in the 9th, too.

So, the Tigers are back in first place for the first time in several weeks after falling as far as 4 ½ back of the Indians just a couple of weeks ago. And Verlander throws the no-hitter, the first (I’m guessing again, but I think this will be born out by research) ever at Comerica Park.