Houston Astros’ starter Justin Verlander continues to stake his claim to yet another Cy Young award as the hurler tossed his third career no hitter on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Verlander (17-5) notched 14 strikeouts to lead Houston over Toronto 2-0, becoming just the sixth pitcher to throw at least three no-hitters during his career, joining an impressive club that boasts legendary names such as Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, and Cy Young himself.
“It means a lot,” Verlander said (h/t ESPN). “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know that. I’ve come so close. Since I’ve had two, I think I’ve blown two in the ninth and another couple in the eighth.
“I was definitely aware of the history aspect of it. Definitely a big hurdle to get over and a very special moment for me.”
“I guess I have to like this mound a lot now,” Verlander stated.
Verlander made reference to a lost no-hitter back in 2011, 2012, 2015, and back in May 2018, where he lost bids late in the game.
“I had memories of blowing a few in the past in the ninth inning, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about that,” Verlander said.
“I think my fastball had been good all day, it had really good life on it. My slider was a little bit inconsistent, so I think I would have kicked myself in the butt a little bit had I gotten beat on a bad one. Just kind of leaned on the fastball the last inning, I was able to get some outs.”
