Steven Matz threw 7 1/3 no-hit innings on Sunday before allowing a single to Alexei Ramirez of the Padres that was just fair inside the first-base line.
The Long Island lefty was thus denied a chance at the second no-hitter in Mets history by a matter of inches. Matz was immediately removed from the game by manager Terry Collins and the Mets went on to a 5-1 victory before 26,612 fans at sweaty Citi Field.
Matz (9-8) had allowed only a pair of walks when Ramirez lined an inside pitch just inside the first-base line with one out in the eighth. First base umpire Carlos Torres jumped out of the way of the hard-hit ball before pointing toward second base.
MLB's no-hitters, perfect games
Fair ball.
Collins sprinted out of the dugout but not to challenge the call. Balls that bounce in the infield before crossing a base are not reviewable under baseball’s replay rules. The call appeared to be correct, anyway.
No, Collins ran out to remove Matz, who had thrown 105 pitches. Collins has never gotten over allowing Johan Santana to throw 134 pitches in the only no-hitter in Mets history on June 1, 2012.
Santana, who walked five and struck out eight, made 10 more starts that season before going down with a shoulder injury. He has not appeared in a major-league game since despite several comeback attempts.
Matz struck out eight. With the Mets leading 2-0, he was replaced by Addison Reed, who allowed a two-out single to pinch hitter Ryan Schimpf before striking out pinch hitter Brett Wallace to end the eighth.
The Mets, who got solo home runs from Wilmer Flores in the second and Neil Walker in the fourth, put the game away with a three-run bottom of the eighth. Jose Reyes scored on a wild pitch and T.J. Rivera drove in the first two runs of his career with a two-out double.
The Mets won consecutive games for the first time since July 6-7.
Things did not start auspiciously for Matz on the 96-degree afternoon. He walked the first batter of the game, Travis Jankowski, and then was called for a balk when Jankowski took off for second and Matz awkwardly and belatedly threw to first.
But Matz struck out the Padres’ best hitter, Wil Myers, and Jankowski was thrown out attempting to steal third base by Rene Rivera for the second out. Padres manager Andy Green challenged the call; it was upheld after a 1:09 replay review. Matz struck out former Yankee Yangervis Solarte to end the inning.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second when Flores hit his 12th homer of the season off Clayton Richard (0-2). They made it 2-0 when Walker hit his 21st leading off the fourth.
San Diego came into the game with a .240 team batting average, tied for next-to-last in the National League. The Mets were last at .236.
Matz struck out one in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth. Solarte ended the fourth with a line drive to the mound that Matz caught.
Matz pitched to the minimum 15 batters through the first five innings. He walked Derek Norris to lead off the sixth and nearly gave up a two-run home run one batter later when pinch hitter Christian Bethancourt launched a long drive to left. But it was foul all the way, and Matz eventually struck out Bethancourt on a nasty breaking pitch for the second out.
With two outs and a runner on first, Jankowski bunted through the first pitch for a strike before grounding into an inning-ending forceout.
Matz retired the Padres 1-2-3 in the seventh, with Jay Bruce making a nice running catch near the right-field foul line for the second out.
Matz, who had walked in the fifth inning, came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to a standing ovation. He swung at the first pitch and grounded to short.
In the eighth, Matz struck out Jabari Blash on a 3-and-2 pitch for his final strikeout. He also crossed the 100-pitch barrier during the at-bat.
Ramirez singled on pitch No. 105. Matz’s day was done.
San Diego scored a run on two hits against Gabriel Ynoa in the ninth.
..... - Newsday