Update (9:52 PM): Minor was so close. Kris Negron flied out to right field for the first out of the eighth inning. Zack Cozart then drew a walk, and pinch-hitter Chris Heisey grounded out weakly to third base for the second out of the inning. Billy Hamilton ended Minor’s no-hit bid with a weakly-hit blooper to shallow center field. With 107 pitches under Minor’s belt, manager Fredi Gonzalez came out to the mound for the baseball, ending the lefty’s night.
Update (9:29 PM): Minor keeps the no-hitter in tact through seven frames. Devin Mesoraco lined out to start the inning. Minor then struck out Jay Bruce and Ryan Ludwick consecutively to end the seventh. Minor will enter the eighth inning at 89 pitches.
Braves starter Mike Minor has the good stuff working tonight in Cincinnati against the Reds. The left-hander has held the Reds hitless through six innings. Minor hasn’t been perfect, though, as he has walked three.
Minor’s opponent, Mat Latos, also enjoyed good results on the evening. The right-hander allowed one run on nine hits and a pair of walks while striking out three over six innings. He exited after the sixth having thrown 95 pitches.
Minor, 26, has had a tough season, entering the night with a 5.16 ERA in 111 2/3 innings across 19 starts. The Reds, however, are on a six-game losing streak and have posted a team-wide .643 OPS in 13 games since August 8.
We’ll keep you updated as Minor attempts to record the final nine outs of the game without allowing a hit.
