He was so close.
Germán Márquez had a no-hitter going through eight innings. Through 87 pitches. Through 23 at-bats. Then, leading off the top of the ninth, Ka’ai Tom laced a single to right field to break it up. Despite the missed no-hitter, it was still an absolutely phenomenal night on the mound for the Rockies ace. Márquez forced 12 groundouts and also struck out five Pirates in a dominating shutout performance that was a pure joy to watch. The game went by fast, lasting only two hours and 18 minutes.
What’s even better is that the offense also showed up to make sure Márquez got the win.