Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis had a great day against the Los Angeles Angels. He almost didn’t allow the Angels to get a hit and made it to the 9th inning.
Angels outfielder Taylor Ward opened the ninth inning with a home run to get the game rolling. Francis left the game to a standing ovation from the supporting Toronto crowd.
Taylor Ward breaks Bowden Francis’ no-hitter with a home run in the 9th inning and Francis leaves the field to a standing ovation.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) 24 August 2024
Francis had 116 pitches when he allowed the home run. It was a long day for the starter and he just wasn’t able to close the bag.
There have already been three no-hitters this season. One was thrown by right-hander Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros against the Blue Jays, one by left-hander Blake Snell of the San Francisco Giants against the Cincinnati Reds and one by San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease against the Washington Nationals.
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Unfortunately, Francis was unable to add his name to the list of pitchers this season.
This wasn’t the first time the Blue Jays came close to throwing a no-hitter. The organization has seen several pitchers come close to throwing away the win in the 9th inning.
He would have been only the second pitcher in Blue Jays history to accomplish this feat. Pitcher Dave Stieb threw the first no-hitter in Toronto history in September 1990.
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
Francis entered the day with a 6-3 record and a 4.38 ERA for the season. He had struck out 58 batters in 63.2 innings. Against the Angels, he struck out 12 batters.
No one expected Francis to perform like this, but that’s what makes baseball so incredible. To his credit, he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in his last ten appearances for the Blue Jays, showing a certain dominance on the mound.
The Blue Jays deserved the win with this performance, even without the no-hitter. It was a big win for Toronto, which is trying to stay in the American League playoff race.
The final score was 3-1, with the Angels’ only goal coming on a home run allowed by Francis. Overall, Francis dominated and gave the Toronto fans an incredible performance.
Toronto can now use this as motivation to keep pushing in the final stretch of the season. They have won the first three games of the four-game series against the Angels and will look to complete the sweep on Sunday.
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