CLEVELAND (AP) — Kansas City’s Michael Massey singled leading off the eighth to break up a no-hit bid by Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi, who was bidding Monday night to throw the majors’ first no-hitter this season and Cleveland’s first since 1981.
Making his career-high 20th start and first against Kansas City, Cecconi flirted with history until the eighth when Massey lined a 2-1 fastball into left-center on the right-hander’s 95th pitch.
Cleveland is leading 10-0.
Cecconi was the latest pitcher to threaten to end Cleveland’s no-hitter drought — the longest current one in MLB — dating to Len Barker’s perfect game 44 years ago. The right-hander received a nice ovation after Massey’s hit and then got Carter Jensen to bounce into a double play.
On Aug. 6, Gavin Williams took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning for the Guardians against the New York Mets before it was broken up by Juan Soto’s one-out homer.
Cecconi has struck out three and walked three, throwing 58 of 100 pitches for strikes. He threw a career-high 107 pitches against the Athletics on July 18. Cecconi’s only professional complete game was a six-inning losing effort for Triple-A Reno during a doubleheader on May 10, 2023.
Cleveland and Kansas City are both in the thick of the tight wild-card race entering the season’s final weeks.
The 26-year-old Cecconi was acquired in an offseason trade from Arizona. He received stellar defensive help from second baseman Brayan Rocchio and center fielder Daniel Schneemann.
Rocchio made a diving stop behind second base in second inning to snag a hard shot through the middle by Salvador Perez before throwing out the slow-moving catcher. An inning later, Schneemann raced into the gap and caught Maikel Garcia’s drive on the warning track.
In the fifth, Rocchio made a sliding stop on Kyle Isbel’s ground in the outfield grass and flipped to second for an inning-ending forceout.
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