For the second time in his last four starts, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis lost a no-hit bid by allowing a leadoff home run in the ninth inning.
After working eight hitless innings against the New York Mets in what turned out to be a 6-2 Mets win (box score), Francis in the top of the ninth allowed this homer off the bat of Mets shortstop and National League MVP darkhorse Francisco Lindor:
This close call comes a mere 18 days after Francis lost a no-hitter in the ninth thanks to a blast from Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Angels.
From the standpoint of the non-contending Jays, that snuffed out what would have been just the second no-hitter in franchise history. The first and still only was by Dave Stieb on Sept. 2, 1990. Related content forthcoming:
Francis’ bid would have been the fifth no-hitter of the 2024 season, and his near miss came exactly one week after Shota Imanaga and a pair of Chicago Cubs relievers no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, Francis’ would have been the 327th recognized no-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball.
Francis has allowed zero hits or one hit in four of his last six starts, and each of those four starts lasted at least seven innings. He’s also permitted just 12 hits in his last 43 innings pitched. Also of note is that Francis on Wednesday struck out only one batter in his eight innings of work. That brought him close to a rare feat, as no-hitters go:
That’s particularly notable in the current high-strikeout era.
Another key to Francis’ bid for history was his efficient eighth inning. Francis entered the frame with a rising pitch count of 102, but he was able to retire the side on just six pitches, which set him up to work the ninth under a reasonable workload. Lindor, though, rendered it all meaningless.
After Lindor’s clutch homer chased Francis and tied the game, the Mets were able to pile on five more runs at the expense of the Toronto bullpen and notch a critical victory. The unlikely win in Toronto pushed the Mets to 80-66 on the season and most critically maintains their hold on the third and final National League wild-card spot. The Braves, who are currently tied for the same spot, play later Wednesday evening.
The Mets’ 6-2 victory is the largest gap by a team being no-hit through eight innings since the 1990 White Sox against the Yankees.
