Houston Astros History: Mike Fiers Pitches No Hitter
By David Hill
Of all the pitchers to potentially throw a no hitter for the Houston Astros, Mike Fiers may have been one of the most unlikely choices. However, he did just that on this day last year.
Prior to this day last season, there had not been a no hitter pitched in the 15 year history of Minute Maid Park. Considering the caliber of arms that had passed through the Houston Astros organization during that time, that was somewhat surprising. However, it would not be one of the Astros start hurlers to break through; instead, it would be the lightly regarded Mike Fiers.
Prior to last year, Fiers had bounced between the Majors and the minors, with only one season with more than 20 appearances. He split his time between the rotation and the bullpen, and had pitched only four complete games at any level. Fiers had yet to pitch into the ninth inning in any Major League start, making him an unlikely option to throw a no hitter.
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Yet, he did just that against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After initially struggling, and issuing three walks in his first two plus innings of work, Fiers settled in, retiring the final 21 batters he faced. In his 134 pitch gem, he struck out ten batters, including Justin Turner for the final out of the contest. With that performance, Fiers also fired the first no hitter in the history of Minute Maid Park, ending the 15 year drought.
Even with that high pitch count, Fiers still finished the season strongly, with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.101 WHiP over his final 36.1 innings of the year. Although he has struggled this season, Fiers certainly has established himself as a solid back of the rotation option, capable of occasional bursts of brilliance, such as his performance on this day last year.
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Mike Fiers may not have been the first Houston Astros pitcher to come to mind to throw the first no hitter at Minute Maid Park, but he did so anyway. That performance will live on forever in Astros history.