Miami: Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez hurled eight no-hit inning Monday before finally surrendering a base hit to Miami in a 1-0 Major League Baseball victory over the Marlins.
The 31-year-old US left-hander who grew up in Miami was three outs from the first no-hitter of his career before the Marlins’ Dee Gordon slapped a single to centrefield on a 1-ball, 1-strike breaking pitcher to lead off the ninth inning for the hosts.
Gonzalez was attempting to finish the second no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season after Marlins right-hander Edinson Volquez hurled one on June 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gonzalez, who improved to 9-5, was removed after Gordon’s single. He walked three batters and hit another while striking out five over 106 pitches.
Nationals relief pitcher Sean Doolittle took the mound for Gonzalez and earned his seventh save of the season, the fourth since the Nationals acquired him from the Oakland Athletics.
After Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a double play, Christian Yelich singled and Marcell Ozuna popped out to end the game, the Nationals settling for a two-hit shutout.
National League East division leaders Washington improved to 63-41 with second-place Miami, 49-55, falling 14 games behind the Nationals.
Washington scored the game’s only run in the sixth inning. Brian Goodwin, who played at nearby Miami Dade College, doubled off the wall in centre, took third on Wilmer Difo’s sacrifice bunt and scored when Bryce Harper singled to left field.
Meanwhile, White Sox rookie second baseman Yoan Moncada left Chicago’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday on a stretcher after colliding with teammate Willy Garcia.
Garcia, the right fielder, charged a shallow fly ball from Toronto’s Darwin Barney and was sliding in a bid to make the catch when Moncada’s right knee struck Garcia in the head.
Barney ended up with a three-run double as both Moncada and Garcia remained down on the field.
Moncada was taken from the field on a stretcher with what the team later said was a knee contusion, while Garcia left the game under his own power.
Moncada, who was called up from Triple-A earlier this month, is hitting .105 with a homer and six runs-batted-in in 12 games for Chicago. Garcia is batting .258 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 40 games.
The Blue Jays scored three runs in the inning to take a 6-0 lead but the White Sox rallied to win the game 7-6.
