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PCL1 New Orleans Baby Cakes

Hand Takes No-Hitter into Eighth

May 30, 2012 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release


Brad Hand carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning and matched his season high with 10 strikeouts, and the New Orleans Zephyrs took the series opener from the first-place Albuquerque Isotopes, 4-1 on Tuesday night at Zephyr Field.

Hand walked Trent Oeltjen to lead off the game, and issued a two-out walk to Tim Federowicz in the second inning, the only two baserunners to reach against Hand until the eighth, when the left-hander went to the mound to begin the inning with a zero in Albuquerque's hit column, and 110 pitches under his belt.

Hand struck out Josh Fields looking to get within five outs of the first Zephyrs no-hitter since Brian Powell in 2001, but Federowicz drove a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right-center field, ending the no-hit bid and Hand's night.

The 22-year-old finished with 7 1/3 innings, a season best, yielding the one hit and matching a 10-strikeout performance against Memphis on April 11.

Rob Delaney came on and recorded two outs around a bunt single to Matt Angle, and Sandy Rosario worked a perfect ninth inning to pick up his league-leading 14th save.

The Zephyrs gave Hand all the run support he would need in the first inning, when Kevin Mattis led off with a walk and scored on a single to right by Gaby Sanchez. Nick Green's bloop single to left also plated a run, putting New Orleans on top 2-0.

The Z's doubled the lead in the fourth, as Mike Cervenak doubled into the left field corner and scored on Jose Duarte's grounder through the hole at second. Hand helped his cause by sending a single up the middle, extending the lead to 4-0, and allowing him to settle in on the mound.

He retired 17 batters in a row before losing the no-hitter, and struck out four in a row at one point, including striking out the side in the sixth.

New Orleans and Albuquerque continue the series on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., with left-hander Wade LeBlanc starting for the Zephyrs against Isotopes right-hander Stephen Fife.

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