Nickerson loses no-hitter in eighth

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Nickerson loses no-hitter in eighth
05/18/2008 10:05 PM ET
By Daren Smith / MLB.com

Jonah Nickerson knew pretty early that he would pitch a good game Sunday. He just didn't think it would be that good.
Nickerson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning for the second time this season as the Lakeland Flying Tigers blanked the Palm Beach Cardinals, 4-0, at Joker Marchant Stadium.
"I'm not really a big strikeout guy and I struck out the side in the first inning," the 23-year-old right-hander said. "I just built on that. I didn't predict I'd be taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but I knew I felt good. It was just one of those days."
Nickerson (4-3) already has had three of "those days" in his three-year Minor League career. He retired the first 21 batters against Fort Myers on April 26 and took a perfect game into the seventh for Class A West Michigan last July 28.
"I'm aware of it, it's just not something I think about every time I go out there," the 2006 seventh-round Draft pick said.
Like that start on April 26, Nickerson realized around the fifth inning that he had not allowed a baserunner. But his latest bid for perfection ended when he grazed Donovan Solano with a pitch with one out in the sixth.
"I went inside with a fastball and clipped his jersey," Nickerson said. "I wouldn't even call it hitting the guy."
Solano remained the Cardinals' lone baserunner until the eighth, when Daniel Descalso hit a chopper over the mound. Second baseman Louis Ott backhanded it and made a jump throw to first that was a couple of steps late.
"As soon as I saw the ball over my head, I kind of knew he was probably going to get a hit on it. It had some top spin on it," Nickerson said. "I wasn't sure if the second baseman was going to make the play.
"At that point, if I could just get into the ninth inning, I thought I'd have a good chance to get [the no-hitter]. It wasn't the night for it to happen, I guess."
Nickerson's night ended after he walked Solano. The Most Outstanding Player at the 2006 College World Series allowed just a hit and a walk while recording a season-high eight strikeouts.
After recording a 7.64 ERA in his first four starts, Nickerson is 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA in his last five outings.
"The big thing for me today was throwing my curveball for a strike," he said. "I got a few outs on my changeup, was able to throw that a few times behind in the count. I was trying to be aggressive with my fastball."
Against Fort Myers last month, Nickerson dueled with rehabbing Major Leaguer Kevin Slowey in a game that was scoreless into the sixth. On Sunday, the Flying Tigers (24-19) staked him to a quick lead as Ryan Strieby doubled in a run in the first and scored on Brennan Boesch's base hit. Jeramy Laster added a two-run homer in the third.
"I was feeling pretty good today and if we got a couple of runs, I knew it'd be enough at that point," Nickerson said. "It definitely made it a lot easier to pitch with confidence as opposed to the last game, when I threw against Slowey."
Jay Sborz worked around a hit and two walks in a scoreless inning and Brendan Wise got the last out for his first save of the season.
Brandon Dickson (2-4) surrendered four runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts over four innings for Palm Beach (26-17).
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.