Reds’ Miley tosses season’s 4th no-no

CLEVELAND — Wade Miley’s 4-year-old son, Jeb, convinced him to put a temporary tattoo of the Hulk on his left forearm for his start against the Cleveland Indians.

He might need to get some permanent ink.

“I got no muscles at all,” Miley said, smiling. “Maybe this gave me some strength.”

Miley pitched like a superhero.

The Cincinnati left-hander tossed baseball’s second no-hitter in three days — and fourth already this season — leading the Reds to a 3-0 win Friday night over the Indians, who were no-hit for the second time in a month.

Miley (4-2) relied on breaking pitches and his experience of 11-plus major-league seasons to baffle the Indians and throw Cincinnati’s 17th no-hitter and first since Homer Bailey in 2013.

“It’s so far-fetched,” the 34-year-old said. “I’m speechless. It still hasn’t sunk in.”

The easygoing Miley said he shook off an 83-minute rain delay to start the game by “goofing off” in the clubhouse, then followed Baltimore’s John Means, who nohit Seattle on Wednesday, to continue an early run of pitching gems in 2021.

Miley joined the 2021 no-hitter club that was started by San Diego’s Joe Musgrove, who threw the first in Padres’ history April 9. Five days later, Chicago White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon blanked

the Indians, just missing a perfect game when he hit a batter in the ninth inning.

Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta on April 25, but that one isn’t recognized as official because it didn’t go nine innings.

This is the earliest in a calendar year there have been four no-hitters since 1917, when the fourth was thrown on May 5 and the fifth on May 6. It’s no wonder, with hitters entering Friday batting a record-low .233 this season.

Miley was in control from the start. He coasted through five innings and carried a perfect game into the sixth, when he began to realize history could be made.

One of the team’s most popular players, Miley said the zeros on the scoreboard quickly made him an outcast in Cincinnati’s dugout.

“All my buddies left me,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t like that. I don’t like thinking about pitching. I want to talk about something else, talk about fishing, talk about hitting, There was nobody to talk to.”

In the ninth, Miley retired pinch-hitter Rene Rivera on a lazy fly to right, struck out Cesar Hernandez and retired Jordan Luplow on a grounder to third before he was mobbed by the Reds, who encircled him and danced across the grass.

“I will never forget that,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “I will never forget the look on Wade’s face. I’m so glad he’s enjoying every mo- ment.”

For their part, the Indians joined a dubious list by becoming the 16th team to be no-hit twice in the same season. It most recently happened to Seattle in 2019.

Miley walked one and struck out eight on 114 pitches.

“He kept us off balance,” Indians Manager Terry Francona said. “He touched 90 (mph) once tonight, but he put on a clinic. I mean he cut the ball in on the righties, threw a changeup, threw a four-seamer in, he just went back and forth.”

While Miley was blanking the Indians, Zach Plesac did the same to the Reds for eight innings before Cincinnati pushed three runs across in the ninth, helped by closer Emmanuel Clase’s throwing error and a balk.

NATIONALS 11, YANKEES 4 Washington burst ahead in a six-run eighth inning that included three errors and Josh Harrison’s three-run home run as Washington beat New York to stop a three-game skid.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MARINERS 5, RANGERS 4 Mitch Haniger had a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning and Seattle bounced back from being no-hit in its last game with a victory over Texas.

ASTROS 10, BLUE JAYS 4 Yuli Gurriel homered and tied a career high with four hits while driving in four runs as Houston beat Toronto. WHITE SOX 3, ROYALS 0 Carlos Rodon struck out 8 and allowed 5 hits in 6 innings as Chicago beat Kansas City.

ATHLETICS 2, RAYS 1 Lefty Sean Manaea’s bid to pitch baseball’s second no-hitter Friday ended on a leadoff double in the eighth inning by high school teammate Mike Brosseau, then Seth Brown hit a game-ending home run as Oakland beat Tampa Bay.

TWINS 7, TIGERS 3 Matt Shoemaker pitched five scoreless innings and Kyle Garlick, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler homered to lift Minnesota over Detroit.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 2 Bobby Dalbec snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a single and a three-run home run, powering Boston over Baltimore.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MARLINS 6, BREWERS 1 Isan Diaz hit his first career grand slam as Miami beat Milwaukee. Miguel Rojas had two hits and scored three times for the Marlins, who have won four in a row. Milwaukee lost its sixth in a row and fell to 0-5 on its seven-game road trip. Trevor Rogers gave up 1 run and 4 hits in 5 innings for the Marlins. The left-hander struck out six and walked two. He combined with three relievers to retire 14 consecutive batters until Adam Cimber, in his second inning of work, hit Avisail Garcia to start the ninth.

PHILLIES 12, BRAVES 2 Odubel Herrera hit a three-run home run in Philadelphia’s sixrun first inning and the streaking Phillies beat Atlanta. Boosted by the return of Jean Segura and Bryce Harper from injuries, the Phillies set a season-high with 16 hits. J.T. Realmuto had 3 hits, including a two-run home run, and Segura drove in 2 runs with 4 hits.

CUBS 3, PIRATES 2 Zach Davies allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings, and Rex Brothers retired Bryan Reynolds on a bases-loaded flyout for his first save since Sept. 29, 2013. Joc Pederson had three hits and an RBI for Chicago, which has won four in a row.

METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 4 (10) Francisco Lindor hit a tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning as New York rallied to beat Arizona.