One of the most unlikely no-hitters in baseball’s long history was thrown on Tuesday night in the strangest of situations.
Mike Fiers, the Oakland A’s veteran righty, tossed nine innings without allowing a hit against Cincinnati. That, in and of itself, is a rare feat.
When you consider the circumstances, the story gets even more improbable.
The game between the Athletics and Reds took place at the Oakland Coliseum, a derelict and aging stadium. Some of the lights in the stadium wouldn’t turn on, so a delay lasting 98 minutes delayed the first pitch.
The game that was supposed to begin at 7:07 PM local time instead began at 8:45 PM.
Two hours and 25 minutes later, at 11.15 PM, Fiers and his teammates celebrated after he tossed nine no-hit innings.
Fiers totaled 6 strikeouts and 2 walks in his masterful outing. Not many could’ve expected a performance like this going into the game, however, as Fiers was the owner of a 6.81 ERA after his first eight start of the year.
Fiers was also helped by an amazing catch by Ramón Laureano in the sixth inning, who robbed Joey Votto of a home run.
The no-hitter was the second of Fiers’ career. He also completed the impressive feat in the 2015 season as a member of the Houston Astros.
