Recovered Meyer tosses six no-hit innings

Print

Recovered Meyer tosses six no-hit innings
04/16/2008 6:47 PM ET
By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com

The only thing that could curtail Dan Meyer on Wednesday afternoon was his pitch count.
Meyer, a 2002 first-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves, hurled six no-hit innings as the Sacramento River Cats blanked the visiting Tucson Sidewinders, 3-0.
Making his second appearance of the season, Meyer (1-0) struck out four and walked two in his bid for Pacific Coast League immortality. His pitch count was at 79 after six frames, and he did not return to pitch the seventh.
"I had never been part of a no-hitter before, and I didn't really become aware of this one until the fifth or sixth," said Meyer, who made six appearances for Oakland in 2007. "I was lobbying to stay in the game, but there was nothing they [the coaching staff] could do. I had my appendix out at the end of Spring Training, and my pitch count is at 80 because of that."
The last batter Meyer faced in the contest was Tim Raines Jr., who was robbed of a hit thanks to a diving catch by center fielder Carlos Gonzalez.
"That was just an unbelievable play, and as a pitcher you just love to see that," Meyer said. "He was giving 110 percent out there."
Despite Gonzalez's heroics, the no-hitter was not destined to last. Ryan Wing came on in relief in the seventh, and Miguel Montero greeted him with a line-drive single to left field. Wing made it though the rest of the frame unscathed, and Brad Ziegler followed with two scoreless frames of his own en route to his first save of the season.
"Wing came up after the game and apologized to me for losing the no-hitter, and I was like 'You don't have to apologize, you pitched great,'" said Meyer. "He and Ziegler went out there and shut the door. Today was a really fun game and they were a big part of that."
The game remained part of a significant moment for the River Cats. The club's pitching staff recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time in franchise history and have not allowed a run since the fourth inning of Monday's victory over Las Vegas.
Sacramento's offense got on the board quickly. Brooks Conrad blasted a solo homer in the second, just his second extra-base hit over 48 at-bats this season. Casey Rogowski singled and scored in the second, and Gonzalez added an RBI single in the fifth.
Evan MacLane (0-2) allowed three runs on nine hits over five innings for the loss. Cody Evans hurled two perfect frames, and Jailen Peguero tossed a scoreless ninth.
The River Cats improved to 7-6 with the victory, while the Sidewinders dropped to a PCL-worst 2-12.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.