SAMARDZIJA TOSSES SEASON'S 2ND NO-HITTER
Schierholtz Web Gem on 27th Out Saves Day
PITTSBURGH, June 12 (AP) - Jeff Samardzija fired the second no-hitter of the 2014 major league season, leading the Chicago Cubs past the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 at PNC Park. The contest was dramatic, even by no-hitter standards, as evidenced by the sprawling catch by Cubs right fielder Nate Schierholtz to save the no-no with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the tying run at the plate.
Samardzija had been suffering through a miserable season, sporting a 2-6 record and a 5.85 ERA entering the game. In his two starts prior, Samardzija had surrendered a total of 16 runs in 8 1/3 innings and there had been talk that he would be removed from the starting rotation. But Chicago manager Rick Renteria gave the right-hander a public vote of confidence and announced that Samardzija would make his scheduled start against the Pirates. The end result was history.
Pittsburgh starter Edinson Volquez matched Samardzija through three innings, holding the Cubs hitless but they broke the deadlock in the top of the fourth. Anthony Rizzo led off the inning with a single to center, putting an end to any Volquez no-hit bid, and Starlin Castro followed by lining a base hit to left-center, leaving Chicago with runners on first and third and no outs. Luis Valbuena continued the hit parade and gave the Cubs the lead by ripping a double off the right-center field wall, scoring Rizzo and chasing Castro to third. Schierholtz's ground out plated Castro to make it 2-0 and though Volquez escaped further trouble, the damage had been done.
Chicago picked up an insurance run for Samardzija in the eighth off reliever Jared Hughes when Emilio Bonifacio led off by drawing a free pass, stole second and came around to score on Junior Lake's base hit.
Samardzija retired the first 10 batters he faced, then hit Starling Marte with a pitch with one out in the fourth and worked out of a bit of a jam in the sixth when Clint Barmes drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a passed ball. With two outs in the seventh Russell Martin reached base after grounding to short. Castro backhanded the ball and made a throw in the dirt that Rizzo couldn't handle at first. Castro was charged with an error, keeping the no-hitter intact, and Samardzija responded by fanning Pedro Alvarez for his 10th--and final--strikeout of the contest.
Samardzija hit pinch hitter Jose Tobata with two outs in the eighth, but pitched out of it.
The bottom of the ninth was white knuckle time for the Cubs and Renteria showed remarkable restraint in sticking with Samardzija despite evident signs of fatigue and the game still in doubt. Marte led off with a nine-pitch walk to open the inning, but Samardzija got Andrew McCutcheon to hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Marte at second for the first out. Ike Davis drew the second free pass of the frame, putting runners on first and second with one out. At this point, Samardzija had thrown 21 pitches in the inning and 127 for the game. Renteria made a trip to the mound but showed no indications that he had any intention of pulling the starter, despite double barrel action in the bullpen. Russell Martin rolled what appeared might be a game-ending double play ball to short, but Martin just barely beat the relay to first, putting runners on the corners with two outs and bringing Alvarez to the plate. He lined a 2-2 offering to right-center and it appeared that the no-hitter would be lost--and the game outcome would remain very much in doubt. But Schierholtz bolted to his right and made a full out dive, snaring the ball in the webbing of his glove and holding on after hitting the turf to preserve the no-hitter and the win. Half the Chicago roster celebrated at the mound, the other half did so in right-center field before Schierholtz made his way to the infield to present Samardzija with the game ball.
Samardzija joins Jon Niese of the New York Mets in the 2014 no-hit club; Niese no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on May 11.
6/12/2014, ChN14-Pit14, PNC Park
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
2014 Cubs 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 1 5 0
2014 Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 1
Cubs AB R H BI AVG Pirates AB R H BI AVG
Bonifacio cf 3 1 0 0 .239 Polanco,G rf 4 0 0 0 .231
Lake lf 4 0 1 1 .176 Watson p 0 0 0 0 .000
Rizzo 1b 4 1 1 0 .270 Marte,S lf 2 0 0 0 .307
Castro,S ss 4 1 2 0 .298 McCutchen,A cf 4 0 0 0 .273
Valbuena 3b 4 0 1 1 .240 Davis,I 1b 3 0 0 0 .196
Schierholtz rf 3 0 1 1 .202 Martin,R c 4 0 0 0 .250
Baker,Jo c 4 0 0 0 .145 Alvarez,P 3b 4 0 0 0 .194
Barney 2b 4 0 0 0 .220 Mercer ss 3 0 0 0 .227
Samardzija p 3 0 0 0 .107 Barmes 2b 2 0 0 0 .156
33 3 6 3 Volquez p 1 0 0 0 .050
Snider ph 1 0 0 0 .291
Wilson,Ju p 0 0 0 0 .000
Hughes,J p 0 0 0 0 .000
Tabata ph 0 0 0 0 .262
28 0 0 0
Cubs INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Samardzija W 3-6 9.0 0 0 0 3 10 134 81 5.20
9.0 0 0 0 3 10 134 81
Pirates INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Volquez L 7-2 6.0 4 2 2 1 2 79 56 2.66
Wilson,Ju 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 8 5 1.82
Hughes,J 1.2 1 1 1 1 1 24 14 2.79
Watson 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 7 6 1.48
9.0 6 3 3 2 4 118 81
Pit: Snider batted for Volquez in the 6th
Tabata batted for Hughes,J in the 8th
Tabata moved to rf in the 9th
E-Castro,S, Mercer. 2B-Valbuena(8). RBI-Lake(18), Valbuena(23),
Schierholtz(23). SB-Bonifacio(13), Lake(6), Marte,S(13). K-Rizzo, Baker,Jo 2,
Barney, Polanco,G 2, Marte,S 2, McCutchen,A, Davis,I 3, Alvarez,P, Snider.
BB-Bonifacio, Schierholtz, Marte,S, Davis,I, Barmes. HBP-Marte,S, Tabata.
PB-Baker,Jo. HB-Samardzija 2.
GWRBI: Valbuena
Temperature: 57, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 8 MPH.
Attendance: 28,876
Game Time: 2:34