Matt Garza throws fifth no-hitter of 2010
After being no-hit three times since July 2009 it was finally time for the Tampa Bay Rays to exact some revenge as Matt Garza threw the first no-hitter in Rays history on Monday night.
The 26-year-old faced the minimum 27 batters on Monday night and would have had a perfect game had he not walked Brennan Boesch in the second inning. The Rays then turned a double-play to allow Garza to face the minimum.
"We needed one. I don't care who it came from. We just needed one for our own confidence. The guys are just as excited as I am. It's fun," Garza said.
Since the Rays franchise started 13 years ago, the team has been held hitless four times, with two of those being perfect games – Dallas Braden throwing one against them this year.
After the game Garza was thankful to his teammates and was pleased that everything managed to go his way while also admitting the nerves were going in the ninth inning.
"It was one of those days where everything lined up. The defence made great plays. I really can't say enough about them,” Garza said.
It was the fifth time a no-hitter has been thrown this year and once again it was done in front of a less than spectacular crowd. Only 17,009 came out to see the game at Tropicana Field, but it wasn’t the lowest attendance to see a no-hitter this year - just 12,228 witnessed Dallas Braden’s perfect game against the Rays in Oakland earlier in the year.
Garza’s no hitter was the second one the fans at Tropicana field had witnessed this season. Former Rays pitcher Edwin Jackson no-hit his old team in June this year and added with Garza’s gem it was the first time in 37 years a stadium has witnessed two no-hitters in the same season.
Although the 26-year-old Garza admits it was a nice achievement, winning the American League East is the main goal.
“We are trying to win the [American League] East, we're not just trying to win a couple games - we're trying to win the East and make it known. It was a great way to start the homestand,” Garza said.
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