Joe Mauer broke up Anibal Sanchez’s no-hit bid last night with a one-out single in the ninth inning. He has made a habit out of spoiling history.
Last night was the third time in Mauer’s career that he has broken up a no-hit bid in the ninth inning. He previously did it in on May 6, 2008 when he doubled off White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd with two outs in the ninth. He later struck again on August 23, 2010 when he singled off Rangers’ right-hander Neftali Feliz with one out in the final inning.
If you could pick anybody as a likely candidate to break up a no-hitter in the ninth inning, Joe Mauer and his .324 career batting average would figure to be near the top of the list. Still, it’s a pretty rare occurrence. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mauer is tied with former Yankees infielder Horace Clarke for the most no-hitters broken up in the ninth inning since 1961. The amazing part about Clarke is that they were all within one month in 1970.
