DETROIT — Maybe it was the temperature; 36 degrees at first pitch. Maybe it was the 28-pitch fifth inning. Maybe it was a fresh bullpen after a rainout.
Probably it was a combination of all three that led to manager Clint Hurdle’s decision, on April 1, to pull Trevor Williams in the middle of a no-hitter.
Williams threw six no-hit innings in the Pirates’ 1-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Michael Feliz, George Kontos and Felipe Rivero finished the job.
Williams had thrown only 85 pitches, but walked five batters, including the leadoff man three times, and thrown only 42 of those pitches for strikes.