PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelpha Phillies are six outs from completing the eighth no-hitter in the majors this year, which would be the most in a season since 1900.
Left-hander Matt Moore shut down the Cincinnati Reds for six innings on Saturday and was lifted after 76 pitches. Right-hander Hector Neris relieved and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh. Philadelphia led 2-0 after 6 1/2 innings.
The Reds could have gotten a hit leading off the second, but shortstop Didi Gregorius snared Joey Votto’s hard-hit grounder by diving to his right and then firing to second for the force out. Moore coasted from that point with routine outs or strikeouts until being relieved after batting in the sixth.
The Chicago Cubs threw the majors’ most recent no-hitter with a combined effort June 24. The other no-hitters this year 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.
Most of those gems were thrown before MLB cracked down on the use of sticky foreign substances by pitchers in late June.
Moore struck out eight and walked two. The six scoreless innings lowered the 32-year-old’s ERA to 6.07.
The Phillies have 13 no-hitters in their history. The last was thrown by Cole Hamels on July 25, 2015.
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