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Sports Q survey: Which Red Sox pitcher is most likely to throw a no-hitter?
Welcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad through Twitter, Facebook, and email. He’ll pick one each weekday to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments. Chad will stop by several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.
Since it seems like there’s a no-hitter in the majors every day now, which Red Sox starter would you say is most likely to throw one? – Bob W.
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Ah, yes, the question that must make the Jordan’s Furniture insurance folks sweat profusely …
There have been six no-hitters in Major League Baseball this season, including one each of the last two nights, by the Tigers’ Spencer Turnbull and the Yankees’ Corey Kluber. And that number is seven if you count Arizona pitcher Madison Bumgarner’s seven-inning gem in April. MLB doesn’t officially, but it’s still a heck of a feat.
The single-season record for no-hitters is seven in 1990, and we’re not even a third of the way through this season yet. I can’t imagine they continue at this pace, but it’s clear baseball has to do something to spark more offense (besides home runs). Commissioner Rob Manfred’s instinct will be to do exactly the wrong thing, but maybe Theo Epstein will have some influence and logical innovation here.
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I do think it’s unlikely that the Red Sox get one. They don’t have a complete-game shutout by a starter this season — or even a complete game, period.
They’ve used six starting pitchers so far this year. Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Richards each have nine starts. Eduardo Rodriguez, Nick Pivetta, and Martin Perez each have eight, and Tanner Houck has started twice. All of them have been good to excellent. None is averaging even six innings per start without rounding up. (Eovaldi averages a little under 5.2 innings per start, best on the team.)
So it seems like the only way any of them will get a chance to finish off a no-hitter is if they’re mowing through the lineup with relentless efficiency, like Kluber did Wednesday night when he needed just 101 pitches against the Rangers.
But to actually answer the question, if I had to pick one … hmm, that’s tough. A couple of weeks ago, I would have said E-Rod, but his velocity is down, which is at least a little concerning. Eovaldi? He has the stuff, but he’s made 178 starts in his career and does not have a single complete game.
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You know who I’m going with? Nick Pivetta. He walks way too many batters (4.6 per nine innings), but he’s allowing just 5.9 hits per nine, easily the best on the team. He also starts Thursday night. What say he makes three straight days with an MLB no-hitter?
What does everyone else think? Which Red Sox starter is most likely to throw a no-hitter? I’ll hear you in the comments.
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