Blue Jays’ Bowden Francis Comes Close to No-Hitter, Falls Short in 3-1 Win Over Angels
In a thrilling game at Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis came tantalizingly close to making history on Saturday afternoon. Francis threw eight spotless innings, striking out 12 and walking three on a career-high 112 pitches, leaving him just three outs away from completing the first no-hitter in Blue Jays history since 1990.
However, Angels left fielder Taylor Ward had other plans, hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning to end Francis’ bid for a no-hitter. While it wasn’t enough to push the Angels to a win, it did save them from being on the wrong side of a no-hitter for the first time in decades. The Angels haven’t been no-hit since 1999, which is the longest active streak in Major League Baseball.
Francis was pulled from the game after the home run, and he received a huge ovation from the crowd as he walked off the mound. Reliever Chad Green then ended the inning to seal the two-run win for the Blue Jays.
Toronto’s only no-hitter came from Dave Stieb, who achieved the feat against Cleveland in 1990. The Blue Jays have been close several times since then, including in 2010 when Brandon Morrow was an out away from completing a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Despite falling short of a no-hitter, Francis’ performance was still impressive, and he now holds a 6-3 record in 21 appearances, including seven starts, this season. His no-hitter would have been the fourth of the season across the league.
The Blue Jays went on to win the game 3-1, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting an RBI double in the first inning and a solo home run in the eighth inning to put Toronto up by three. The win marked the fifth in the Blue Jays’ past seven games and their third straight over the Angels.
The Angels, meanwhile, are struggling, with a 54-76 record and a seven-game losing streak. They have the second-worst record in the American League, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox.
In the end, while Francis came close to making history, the Blue Jays were able to secure a win and move closer to the top of the AL East standings.
