Seattle Mariners flame-thrower James Paxton tosses the third no-hitter of the young MLB season, the third one in three countries in 2018.
Into the 9th against the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners southpaw James Paxton was flame-throwing at 100 MPH on the radar gun, getting stronger with each pitch, it seemed. With the help of his four-seam heater and a little from his friends on defense, James Paxton racked up the third MLB no-hitter in 2018.
James Paxton’s 2018 campaign started off a bit rocky, but his past two outings have been flat out dominant. Last week, James Paxton became the first Canadian born player in MLB history to strikeout 16 batters in one game – taking the crown from Erik Bedard, who punched out 15 with the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.
T.J.Cotteril of The News Tribune caught up with James Paxton after the contest, who knew his stuff would lead to a memorable evening.
"“I probably had the best fastball I’ve had of my career. It was jumping. We were using the top of the zone and guys were swinging right through it.”"
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Fate then brought James Paxton back home, where he topped his 16 K performance with a no-hitter — the third one in MLB this season in as many countries. MLB’s effort to make the sport a global affair is coming naturally, with no-hitters in the United States, Mexico, and now Canada.
- April 21, 2018, Sean Manaea: Oakland Athletics against the Boston Red Sox — Oakland, California
- May 4: Los Angeles Dodgers. Walker Buehler (6 innings pitched). Tony Cingrani (One inning pitched). Yimi Garcia (One inning pitched). Adam Liberatore (One inning pitched). Monterrey, Mexico
- May 8, 2018, James Paxton. Seattle Mariners against Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto, Canada
James Paxton: first pitcher in MLB history with 16-K game and bald eagle landing on shoulder **and a no-hitter** in the same season (probably) #Mariners
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) May 9, 2018
As impressive as James Paxton was, he didn’t do it alone ( no help from the eagle this time around, though), with the Seattle Mariners providing him with stellar defense along the way. Kyle Seager preserved the no-no late in the game, with an incredible play at third to end the seventh inning.
After a rough start to the season and an ERA skyrocketing above 5.00, James Paxton has righted the ship and lowered his ERA to a solid 3.40. It’s hard to top what he did tonight, but that’s what people were saying after his 16 strikeout performance last time on the mound.
Next: What 3,000 hits would have meant for Pujols in St. Louis
Congrats to James Paxton, who made his home country of Canada proud tonight — even though he did so at the expense of their beloved Toronto Blue Jays.