CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi has not given up a hit to the Kansas City Royals through seven innings on Monday night in a matchup with AL wild-card implications.
Making his career-high 20th start and first against Kansas City, Cecconi has held the Royals in check during the opener of a key four-game series.
Cleveland is leading 9-0.
He's bidding to throw the first no-hitter in the majors this season and trying to end Cleveland's no-hitter drought dating to 1981.
Cecconi has
struck out three and walked three while throwing 91 pitches, 53 for strikes. He threw a career-high 107 pitches against the Athletics on July 18. Cecconi's only professional complete game was a six-inning losing effort for Triple-A Reno during a doubleheader on May 10, 2023.
Cleveland hasn’t had a no-hitter since Len Barker tossed a perfect game 44 years ago. It’s the longest current drought in Major League Baseball.
On Aug. 6, Gavin Williams took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning for the Guardians against the New York Mets before it was broken up by Juan Soto’s one-out homer.
Cleveland and Kansas City are both in the thick of the tight wild-card race entering the season's final weeks.
The 26-year-old Cecconi, who was acquired in an offseason from Arizona, has walked three and struck out three.
The right-hander received stellar defensive help from second baseman Brayan Rocchio and center fielder Daniel Schneemann.
Rocchio made a diving stop behind second base in second inning to snag a hard shot through the middle by Salvador Perez before throwing out the slow-moving catcher. An inning later, Schneemann raced into the gap and caught Maikel Garcia's drive on the warning track.
In the fifth, Rocchio made a sliding stop on Kyle Isbel's ground in the outfield grass and flipped to second for an inning-ending forceout.
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