Giants’ Matt Moore loses no-hitter in ninth inning against Dodgers

Giants lefthander Matt Moore was one out away from completing a no-hitter against the Dodgers on Thursday night.

Giants lefthander Matt Moore came within one out of a no-hitter against the Dodgers on Thursday night, only to lose his bid for history after 8 2/3 innings in San Francisco's 4–0 win.

With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth, Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager hit a single into rightfield to break up Moore's no-hit bid. Santiago Casilla then came in to get the final out of the game for the Giants.

Moore, acquired by the Giants at the trade deadline from the Rays for third baseman Matt Duffy and two other players, struck out seven and walked three in 8 2/3 innings of work. He threw a career-high 133 pitches, 88 of which went for strikes.

Moore was attempting to extend the Giants’ streak of having a pitcher throw a no-hitter for a fifth straight season; he would have joined Matt Cain (2012), Tim Lincecum ('13 and '14) and Chris Heston ('15) as the latest San Francisco starter to throw a no-no. No major league team has ever had a pitcher throw a no-hitter in five consecutive seasons; only the Giants and the Dodgers (1962–65, all by Sandy Koufax) have reached four seasons. Moore is also the second Giants pitcher in the last four seasons to lose a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth, joining Yusmeiro Petit, who had his perfect game against the Diamondbacks on Sept. 7, 2013, broken up with a two-out single.

Some of Moore’s former Rays teammates reacted to his near-feat on Twitter:

Soooo close!!! Brilliant outing by Matty Mo!!!

— Chris Archer (@ChrisArcher22) August 26, 2016

wow..

— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) August 26, 2016

Moore, 27, was 0–3 with a 4.70 ERA in his first four starts with the Giants. With the win Thursday, San Francisco avoided the series sweep and moved to two games behind Los Angeles in the National League West.