Paxton tosses a no-hitter against the Blue Jays
Ladner, B.C., native James Paxton tossed a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night. Photo Credit: Seattle Mariners (@MarinersPR on Twitter)
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Ladner, B.C., native James Paxton tossed a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 5-0 victory.
The Canadian lefty struck out seven and walked three in his history-making 99-pitch performance.
Paxton becomes just the second Canadian to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues. The other was authored by Dick Fowler (Toronto, Ont.) for the Philadelphia A's on September 9, 1945.
Paxton's no-hitter is the third thrown in Toronto and the first since Justin Verlander, then with the Detroit Tigers, no-hit the Blue Jays on May 7, 2011. Oakland A's right-hander (and future Blue Jay) Dave Stewart became the first pitcher to toss a no-hitter at Rogers Centre on June 29, 1990.
"It's very special. I can't think of a better place to have done it," Paxton told Sportsnet's Hazel Mae in a post-game interview. "The Canadian fans are great. I'm very happy to have done it here."
The closest Paxton came to losing his no-hitter was in the seventh inning when Kevin Pillar smashed a grounder down the third base line that Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager dove and snagged and got up to throw the Blue Jays centre fielder out at first base.
Paxton's gem was the sixth no-hitter in Mariners' history and the fifth thrown against the Blue Jays.
The Canadian lefty's no-hit performance comes on the heels of his 16-strikeout game against the Oakland A's on Wednesday, which set a record for most strikeouts in a game by a Canuck pitcher. Paxton has now combined to strike out 23 batters and allow just five hits in 16 innings in his past two starts.