WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli's no-hit bid against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday was broken up after 6 2/3 innings on Michael Busch's bloop single to left.
Busch poked a 1-2 fastball the opposite way, and it landed in front of left fielder Daylen Lile. The crowd at Nationals Park then applauded before Cavalli got Alex Bregman to fly out to end the inning.
Busch's single was only the Cubs' fifth ball in play outside the infield.
Cavalli was perfect before Dansby Swanson led off the sixth with a walk. He was erased a batter later on Michael Conforto’s double-play grounder.
Cavalli, a 27-year-old right-hander in his first full season in the majors, has struck out eight. His seven innings matches a career high.
Washington leads 6-0. Abimelec Ortiz hit a three-run homer as part of a five-run fifth inning.
Max Scherzer is the last National to throw a no-hitter, doing so on Oct. 3, 2015 against the New York Mets. The Nationals have recorded two other no-hitters since moving to Washington. Jordan Zimmermann threw one on the last day of the 2014 regular season against Miami, and Scherzer did it against Pittsburgh in 2015.
There has been only one no-hitter in the majors this season, a combined effort by Houston’s Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa against Texas on May 25.
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