In what sport writers wrote up as a unique moment in baseball history, 33-year old Dominican Edinson Volquez pitched a no-hitter and a “Maddux,” having tossed less than 100 pitches (98) to complete the no-hitter defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0 on Saturday, 3 June 2017 in Marlins Park.
Volquez became only the sixth Marlins player to do so. The media highlighted the irony of the no-hitter coming from the pitcher with the most losses so far this season (4.44 ERA and a 1–7 record) and after a collision during the game almost knocked him out of the game right from the start.
But what made the postgame celebration most moving was when Volquez dedicated his no-hitter to two of his fallen friends and former teammates, the late Royals’ Yordano Ventura and Miami’s José Fernández, who died tragically last year. Saturday would have been Ventura’s 26th birthday.
The game was the first no-hitter of the 2017 Major League Baseball Season.
Other Dominicans that have pitched no-hitters are Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, Ubaldo Jiménez, Ramón Martínez, José Jiménez and Juan Marichal. A Dominican hadn’t pitched a no-hitter since 2011.
Read more:
The Ringer
Bleacher Report
Listin Diario
5 June 2017
