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Athletics’ Sean Manaea no-hits Red Sox

 
Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea delivers during his no-hitter against the Red Sox, striking out 10. [Associated Press]
Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea delivers during his no-hitter against the Red Sox, striking out 10. [Associated Press]
Published April 22, 2018|Updated April 22, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. – Sean Manaea watched as Marcus Semien fired a ball from short to second baseman Jed Lowrie, turned around, and jumped into the arms of catcher Jonathan Lucroy. History was made at the Coliseum.
Manaea no-hit the Red Sox on Saturday, requiring just 108 pitches to clinch a 3-0 victory against the best team in baseball entering the night in front of 25,746 fans.

The no-hitter was the 12th by an A's pitcher and the seventh in Oakland history. It was the franchise's first since Dallas Braden's perfect game on Mother's Day May 9, 2010 at the Coliseum against the Rays.

It was the climax of what has been a fantastic start to the season for the left-hander. Manaea got ahead in the count often in what was a perfect night at the Coliseum with clear skies. The changeup was on point for Manaea, and with a fastball sitting around 92-93, he was able to keep a strong Red Sox lineup, which entered the night leading the majors in runs, doubles, home runs, and batting average, off balance throughout the night.
Manaea's 10 strikeouts matched his career high.

After issuing a walk to Mookie Betts to lead off the game, Manaea was dominant. He proceeded to retire the next 14 hitters in a row, with the streak only ending because of a pop fly by Sandy Leon that bounced off Marcus Semien's glove in the fifth inning as he was running out to shallow left-center with his back towards the infield. The play was ruled an error on Semien, and Manaea quickly regrouped by striking out Jackie Bradley Jr.
Manaea lost the no-hitter in the sixth for a brief moment after Andrew Benintendi appeared to beat out an infield chopper for a hit by dodging a diving tag attempt by first baseman Matt Olson. But after the umpires convened near the mound, it was determined that Benintendi had run out of the baseline, keeping Manaea's date with history intact.

Manaea would retire the next eight hitters in a row, and after walking Benintendi in the ninth, Manaea got Hanley Ramirez to ground out to short to complete the historic feat.

The A's provided run support early when Lowrie doubled home Semien in the second. Semien later homered in the fifth for a solo shot, his second of the season.